Once Upon A French

Appeler Itinéraire Site Web

Once Upon A French French and English services language services.

04/10/2026

🇫🇷 What if your next trip to France was also a French immersion?

Come experience French differently in La Rochelle, on France’s Atlantic coast.

Whether you’re travelling solo, as a couple, with a friend or as a family, I create personalized French immersion stays built around your level, interests and goals.

French lessons, conversations over coffee, local markets, workshops with artists and artisans, regional discoveries, and even the option of staying with a French host family — the idea is simple: learn French by actually living it.

✨ All ages & levels
✨ Individual & small-group stays
✨ Fully customized programs
✨ Homestay option available

📍 La Rochelle, France
🌐 onceuponafrench.com
📩 [email protected]

Your French immersion, your way. 🇫🇷

15/09/2026

Meet Axelle Gaussen, the artist behind the beautiful series “Petites Lignes”. ✨

Axelle is a ceramic artist based in La Rochelle, where she creates, among other things, pieces designed to *faire vivre l’extérieur* — to bring outdoor spaces to life.

Mini tables, cups, cache-pots… and her distinctive “Petites Lignes” series, with its colourful hand-painted lines.

But Axelle’s creative world doesn’t stop there. She’s always embracing new projects and collaborations, while sharing her love of ceramics through workshops for adults and children — and giving other artists a space to shine in her gallery in the heart of La Rochelle.

J’aime vous faire découvrir La Rochelle autrement. Not only through the French language, but through the people, places and creative worlds that make the city what it is. ✨

Because learning French in La Rochelle is also about experiencing the culture that surrounds you.

Merci de m’avoir ouvert les portes de ta galerie, Axelle ! 🤍

28/08/2026

Downtime activity with my girls 🧵💕

We’re sewing a bag and we need… des scratchs! 😄

Yes, in French, un scratch can refer to a Velcro fastening.

And yes, we also say un velcro / des velcros… but des scratchs was just too good not to share. 🇫🇷🇬🇧

French loves borrowing from English… and giving it a French twist! 🇫🇷🇬🇧

✨ Want to take your French further? I offer personalized online French lessons and customized French immersion stays in La Rochelle, France.

21/08/2026

Summer isn’t over yet! 🌊☀️

French loves borrowing from English… and shortening it! 😂

Ready for a little water sports quiz? 🇫🇷

🌊 bodyboarding → faire du body
🏄‍♀️ paddleboarding → faire du paddle
💦 wakeboarding → faire du wake
🪁 kitesurfing → faire du kite
🏄 surfing → faire du surf

See the pattern? 👀

Faire du + half the English word! 😂

Okay… not literally half. 😉

30/07/2026

🍺 One local b**r. One classic French expression.

While wandering through La Rochelle, I spotted this clever brewery slogan:

“Un malt nécessaire.”

It’s based on the French expression un mal nécessaire, which means “a necessary evil.”

By replacing MAL with MALT—the main ingredient in b**r—the brewery turns a familiar French expression into the perfect b**r slogan. Clever!

💬 Et vous? What’s your mal nécessaire? Tell me in the comments!

13/07/2026

🍦🍪 Lingo Pic #8 | The COOLKIE!

First came the BROOKIE 🍪🍫 (Brownie + Cookie).

Then came the CROOKIE 🥐🍪 (Croissant + Cookie).

And now… we’ve spotted the COOLKIE! 🍦🍪

One of my favourite things about English is how creative it can be. New words appear all the time by blending two familiar words into one. They’re called blend words (or portmanteau words), and food is full of them!

This summer in La Rochelle, and teamed up to create the COOLKIE—a delicious cookie and ice cream creation that definitely deserves a place in the Lingo Pic family.

Now it’s your turn, Edmonton! 🇨🇦

Which local ice cream shop should create the Edmonton COOLKIE?

Tag your favourite ice cream shop below! 👇🍦

Merci for inspiring our Brookie Lingo Pic, for the Crookie, and & for the Coolkie!

LaRochelle

Another unforgettable chapter comes to a close. 🇫🇷It was a true privilege to serve as the lead instructor and coordinato...
30/06/2026

Another unforgettable chapter comes to a close. 🇫🇷

It was a true privilege to serve as the lead instructor and coordinator of the 2026 University of Alberta Study Abroad Program in La Rochelle.

Over the past few weeks, the University of Alberta students didn’t just study French—they lived it.

From interviewing artists and spending time with French primary and secondary school students to exploring the Gallo-Roman city of Saintes, experiencing the magic of Puy du Fou, and engaging in discussions on topics ranging from French gastronomy to freedom of expression, every day brought new opportunities to learn through authentic cultural experiences.
Special thanks to: Cécile Cuzzubbo Carole Sionnet Olivier Rocheau Tommy Delacuvellerie AXELLE GAUSSEN CÉRAMIQUE

Thank you to this wonderful group of students for your curiosity, enthusiasm, openness, and willingness to embrace every new experience. Watching your confidence, your French, and your intercultural understanding grow has been one of the most rewarding parts of this journey.

At Once Upon a French, I help schools and universities create tailor-made study abroad and immersion programs that bring language, culture, and meaningful human connections together.

If your institution is looking to offer students a truly immersive experience in France, I’d love to connect.

Until next time🇫🇷

Were you part of this adventure? I’d love to hear your favourite memory in the comments.

10/03/2026

⏰ Translation challenge

How would you say in French:

➡️ “We switched to daylight saving time on Sunday.”
➡️ “Daylight saving time started on Sunday.”

The most idiomatic French answers aren’t literal translations.

In everyday French, people usually say:
👉 On a changé d’heure dimanche.

You might also hear:
👉 On est passé à l’heure d’été dimanche.

French uses the terms “heure d’été” and “heure d’hiver”, while English refers to “daylight saving time” and “standard time”.

Another fun detail:
Canada already changed time… but France hasn’t yet! 🇨🇦🇫🇷

That’s because North America and Europe follow different schedules for the time change. For a few weeks each spring, the time difference between France and Canada is one hour shorter.

📍Clock featured in the reel: La Grosse Horloge, La Rochelle



Adresse

La Rochelle

Téléphone

+15874874825

Site Web

Notifications

Soyez le premier à savoir et laissez-nous vous envoyer un courriel lorsque Once Upon A French publie des nouvelles et des promotions. Votre adresse e-mail ne sera pas utilisée à d'autres fins, et vous pouvez vous désabonner à tout moment.

Raccourcis

Partager

Catégorie