400+ alumni from 30+ countries · 18 years of teaching · Kerfiac, Brittany.
Questions About Learning French at Real French
Have a specific question? Bernard answers it in 15 minutes. Free, no obligation.
How does the method work?
Why can’t I understand spoken French even after years of study?
Because no one has trained your ear. French has 14 distinct vowel sounds. English shares approximately 6 of them. The remaining ~8 are literally inaudible to untrained English-speaking ears, the brain filters them out before they reach conscious awareness. You can study grammar and vocabulary for decades and never fix this, because the problem is not knowledge. It is perception. Until someone works individually with your ear, identifying exactly which sounds you are missing, then retraining you to hear and produce them, you will plateau. This is not a question of intelligence, effort, or motivation. It is a neurological fact.
What is the 14-sounds method?
French has 14 distinct vowel sounds. English speakers can naturally hear about 6 of them. The remaining ~8 are inaudible, not difficult, inaudible. Bernard Henusse discovered through 18 years of individual teaching that every English speaker has a different map of sounds they cannot hear. Some can’t distinguish u from ou. Others hear nasal vowels as a single undifferentiated sound. The first day at Real French is a diagnostic. Bernard identifies your specific map. Every session for the rest of the week targets exactly those gaps. Once the phonetic foundation is in place, grammar and vocabulary learning accelerates dramatically.
What makes Real French different from other French immersion programmes?
Most immersion programmes put you in France and assume proximity will teach you. It won’t, not without phonetic training. Real French is different in three ways. First: one-on-one, always. No group classes, because every ear is different. Second: the diagnostic foundation. Before grammar or vocabulary, Bernard maps your specific hearing gaps. Most French teachers are trained in written French. Bernard teaches spoken French, the sounds and rhythm patterns that native speakers use. Third: total environment. You live in the Henusse family home. Bernard joins you for lunch and dinner. The immersion is 24/7.
Why don’t you offer group classes?
Because the method requires individual diagnosis. Every English speaker has a different set of French sounds they cannot hear. A group class can only teach to the average, it cannot identify or address your specific gaps. This is not a commercial decision. It would be easier and more profitable to run group classes. Bernard doesn’t, because group classes cannot do what this method requires.
How fast will I progress?
Faster than you expect. Most students experience a noticeable perceptual shift within the first two days, sounds that were previously blurred start to separate and become distinguishable. The rate depends on your starting level, which specific sounds your ear is missing, and how quickly your ear responds to retraining. What does not affect your rate of progress: how many years you have studied, how smart you are, how motivated you are. The phonetic gap is structural, not motivational.
Can Real French accommodate students with learning challenges?
Yes. We have experience with dyslexia and other learning differences. Bernard adapts the method, using images alongside text, providing materials in audio format, keeping information structured and simple, and using colour differentiation. The one-on-one format is inherently well suited to this because every session adapts to the individual.
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What does a Real French programme include?
Is Real French suitable for complete beginners?
Yes, and in some ways, beginners get the most from the phonetic foundation. Starting with a trained ear means you never develop the incorrect sound substitutions that intermediate learners spend years trying to unlearn. The only prerequisite is that you want to speak French correctly. Motivated beginners consistently make rapid progress because they have no bad habits to undo.
I already speak some French. Is there still a point?
Yes, particularly if you have plateaued. Most intermediate learners have unconsciously replaced sounds they cannot hear with the closest English equivalent. Those substitutions have become habits. French speakers hear those habits and switch to English. Bernard’s programme for intermediate students starts with identifying the substitutions, the sounds you think you are making correctly but aren’t.
Can I learn online?
Online sessions are not suitable for the initial intensive programme. The 14 Sounds work and ear training require in-person interaction. Bernard needs to observe your mouth position and hear you in real space, not through microphone compression. Some students do online follow-up sessions after completing the residential programme. But the foundation itself requires the week in Kerfiac.
What is the recommended number of lessons per day?
Six hours of one-on-one instruction per day, split across oral expression, oral comprehension, and the 14 Sounds phonetic ear training. The Full Immersion Week delivers 30 hours over 5 days; the 14 Sounds Experience delivers 18 hours over 3 days; the Breakthrough Immersion delivers 60 hours over 10 instructional days. Every session adapts in real time to where your ear is that day.
How many students are there per week?
We limit intake to 2 students per week, occasionally 3. This ensures total immersion and that Bernard can give each student genuine individual attention. The small number also means the household stays in French, there is no critical mass of English speakers to retreat into.
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About the Stay
Where exactly is Real French?
Kerfiac, in the Côtes-d’Armor department of Brittany, France. Inland, rural, genuinely French. Nearest airports: Rennes or Brest (~1.5 hours). By train from Paris: Paris–Guingamp TGV (3 hours). Bernard can arrange pickup from Lamballe station on Sundays.
What does a typical day look like?
Sessions run approximately 6 hours per day across the morning and afternoon. Véronique prepares all meals, breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Bernard joins you at lunch and dinner for coached conversation in French. Evenings are free. Brittany has coastline, medieval towns, and local markets within easy reach.
What is included in the accommodation price?
Private bedroom, full board (all meals), and Monday to Friday nights. Sunday and Saturday nights are available as extra nights at €110 per night. Accommodation prices include 10% VAT (French law, non-waivable). Gym access is €10/day, laundry €15/load.
Can I bring a partner or family member?
Contact Bernard to discuss. The house is a family home, not a hotel, and the immersion environment depends on everyone present engaging with French. We can accommodate partners and young children, see our detailed information on the Your Stay page or ask during your discovery call.
Is Real French open year-round?
Yes, except between Christmas and New Year.
About Booking
How do I book?
Start with a free 15-minute discovery call with Bernard. He’ll assess your situation and tell you honestly whether the programme is right for you. After the call, if you want to proceed, he’ll walk you through available dates and booking.
How far in advance should I book?
Several months is typical. The one-on-one format limits capacity. If you have a specific deadline, a relocation, an exam, a professional event, mention it on the discovery call.
What is the cancellation policy?
A 30% deposit reserves your slot (non-refundable). Remaining balance due 60 days before. Course dates can be rescheduled without charge up to 2 years after full payment. No refunds after full payment, but we are flexible on rescheduling.
Talk to Bernard
15 minutes. Free. No obligation. He’ll demonstrate the method live and tell you honestly whether one week is right for you.