Live Lyon. Speak French.

What level do I need to start?

Any level. Total beginners welcome. The programme adapts to you, not the other way around.

Do I need to speak any French before I arrive?

No. If you did, you wouldn't need me.

How is this different from Alliance Française, italki, or a tutor at home?

Hours per day, for one. A weekly group class gives you 2 hours of French. A tutor on Zoom gives you 1. FIL gives you 14+ hours of French every day, for a week or more, with one teacher who knows your goals. That's not the same product.

Hours in a row, for one. A weekly group class gives you 2 hours of French. A tutor on Zoom gives you 1. FIL gives you up to nine hours straight, one-to-one, out in the city, with one teacher who knows your goals. That's not the same product.

What does a typical day look like?

What does a session look like?

Breakfast in French. A morning activity in French — market, museum, walk. Lunch in French. An afternoon activity in French. Dinner in French. Sleep. Repeat. See the full week.

We meet in the city — I send you the meeting point when I confirm your booking. Then it's one activity, in French, from start to finish: a market walk or a café in two hours, shopping for ingredients and cooking them in half a day, a proper excursion in a full day. No English, no textbook. See the programs.

Will I actually be able to speak French at the end?

You'll speak more French in one week with FIL than in a year of evening classes. How fluent depends on where you start and how long you stay. What I guarantee: you will leave thinking in French, not translating.

You'll speak more French in one session than in weeks of evening classes — you're the only student, and nobody switches back to English. How far you get depends on where you start and how much time we spend together. What I guarantee: you'll leave having spoken more French than you thought you could.

Do you give homework?

No. The day is the homework. You'll be too tired by dinner — in the best way.

No. The session is the homework. You'll leave tired — in the best way.

Will we only speak French the whole time?

That's the goal. The first day is always the hardest. By day three, you'll stop reaching for English.

That's the goal. The first half hour is always the hardest. After that, you'll stop reaching for English.

Do you teach grammar?

Yes — but not the way you remember it. Grammar comes up when it's useful, not on a schedule. You'll learn the rules because you needed them, not before.

What if I plateau mid-week?

What if I get stuck?

It happens. We slow down, change the activity, go somewhere new. Immersion has a rhythm — I know when to push and when to let it breathe.

What's included in the price?

Accommodation in my home in Lyon. Three meals a day. All activities and outings. Teaching, morning to night. Materials. You arrive with a suitcase. That's it.

The activity itself, everything we eat or drink as part of it, and one-to-one teaching from start to finish. Each format's card on the programs page lists the details.

What's not included?

Flights to Lyon. Travel insurance. Personal expenses outside the programme. Anything you want to bring back home.

Your stay in Lyon. Transport to the meeting point. Personal expenses. Anything you want to bring back home.

How long should I stay?

How much time do I need?

One week minimum. Two weeks is the sweet spot. Some clients stay a month. The longer you stay, the deeper it goes.

As much as you have. Two hours is the easiest way to try it. Half a day is one full activity, start to finish. A full day is a proper excursion. In Lyon for longer? Book several sessions — a few afternoons spread across your stay work well.

What's the best time of year to come?

Any season works, honestly. Spring and autumn are the sweet spots — mild, quieter, the light is good. Summer is lively. Winter has the Fête des Lumières in December, which alone is worth the flight.

How do I get to Lyon from the US?

Fly into Lyon Saint-Exupéry (LYS) directly from a few US hubs, or via Paris CDG with a 2-hour TGV. I'll send you a full arrival guide once you book.

Fly into Lyon Saint-Exupéry (LYS) directly from a few US hubs, or via Paris CDG with a 2-hour TGV. Once you book, I'll email you the meeting point.

What's the food like — can you accommodate dietary restrictions?

Tell me before you arrive and we'll handle it. Vegetarian, gluten-free, allergies — Lyon's market culture makes this easier than you'd think, not harder.

Is there WiFi? Can I work remotely part of the time?

Can I fit this around work?

There's WiFi. Some clients work mornings and immerse afternoons — it's possible, though the less you split your attention, the faster you progress.

Yes — that's what the short formats are for. Two hours before a meeting, an afternoon after a morning of calls. They work well if you're in Lyon on business or already live here.

Can I bring a partner or a friend?

Yes — one additional guest is welcome. They join the meals, the outings, the city. The teaching stays one-on-one: your French, your pace, your goals. Their French too, if they want it — just in separate sessions.

Yes — one guest, at the guest rate shown on each format. The teaching adapts to both of you. Beyond two people it stops being immersion and starts being a class, so two is the limit.

I'm coming with my partner. Do we both need to speak French?

No. One of you can be a total beginner, the other intermediate — it doesn't matter. The programme adapts to each of you individually. What works is that you're both in it: at the table, at the market, in the conversation. That's where it happens for both of you.

Is Lyon a good city for LGBTQ+ travellers?

Very. Lyon has a lively, unpretentious queer scene — bars, events, a Pride that actually feels like a party rather than a parade. More importantly, it's a city where nobody looks twice. You'll feel at home here.

How far in advance do I need to book?

At least 4–6 weeks ideally, earlier in summer. The programme is one person at a time — when it's booked, it's booked.

The open slots are in the booking calendar. Pick one and it's held for you — nothing to pay now — and I confirm by email within 24 hours. There's only one of me: when a slot is taken, it's taken.

Can I extend my stay mid-week if I want to stay longer?

Can I turn a session into a longer one?

If the calendar allows it, yes. It's happened before. Just ask.

If the calendar allows it, yes. Just ask.

Do you have references I can speak to?

Yes. Once we've had an initial conversation, I can connect you with a former client. I'd rather you heard it from them.

What if I don't click with you, or it's not what I expected?

Tell me on day one. We'll fix it, adjust it, or — if it's really not working — I'll refund the unused days. Immersion only works if you're comfortable.

Tell me straight away. We'll change the activity, adjust the pace, or go somewhere else. Immersion only works if you're comfortable.

What if I have to cancel?

Life happens. Full refund up to 30 days before arrival. 50% between 30 and 14 days. After that, we look at rescheduling first before anything else.

Life happens. Nothing is paid when you book, so just tell me as early as you can and we'll find another slot.

Who are you?

Théodore Legrand. Born in Lyon. Lived in six countries. Speak five languages. Spent ten years in pharmaceutical engineering and product management before launching FIL. The programme started when I taught my former boss French — he asked, it worked, and here we are.

What neighbourhood do you live in?

Where do we meet?

Central Lyon — easy walking distance to the old town, the markets, the river. You won't need a car.

It depends on the activity — a market, a café, the riverbank, a museum. I send you the exact meeting point by email when I confirm your booking.

Do you have a car? Can we do day trips?

Yes. Day trips are part of the programme — Beaujolais, the Vercors, the Rhône valley. We go where the week takes us.

Yes — that's what the full day is for. Beaujolais for Taste, the mountains for Move. We go where the track takes us.