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Feel Good French · With Déborah

Bonjour et bienvenue !

French lessons for real life in France.

You may know the words, then freeze when the baker asks another question or a phone call begins. Here, adults practise the French they need for everyday life, through private online lessons, a small live group and retreats in France.

Four women walking together through a village street in France
A village day, together.

Signature online group · December 2026 cohort

On y va !

Survive & Thrive
in France.

A four-week online group to build French foundations before the new year. Practise what to say when the conversation takes an unexpected turn, meet like-minded learners and build a learning rhythm you can keep on your own.

  • Four practical modules
  • Four weekly online calls
  • Up to 10 learners

Module 1 opens 16 November. Live calls: 30 November, 7, 14 & 21 December at 19:30 Paris time.

See the December cohort & dates →
Déborah with learners at a French market
A market morning with my learners.
Déborah and Gwen in Penne d’AgenaisWith Gwen in Penne d’Agenais
Together

Meet your teacher

Moi, c’est Déborah.

French that works outside the classroom.

I’m Déborah, a French teacher from the south of France. Having lived abroad myself, I know that learning a language touches far more than grammar.

We practise the French you want to use: a market exchange, a phone call, a neighbour’s invitation, or a story you want to tell. There is room to ask again, make mistakes and keep your curiosity.

Preparing a move, already living in France, or simply drawn to its language and culture? You’re welcome here.

Meet Déborah
Déborah outdoors in Nice, France
In Nice, France
Déborah teaching French at Château de Borie
Teaching at the château

With Abby at Château de Borie · Southwest France

Au château

Come live your French in 2027.

At Abby’s château, guided French meets markets, meals, village life and time together. Choose the winter week or the September immersion.

The salon and French workshop space at Château de Borie

27 February – 5 March 2027 · Six nights

Fireside Living in French

A small winter retreat for beginners, especially A1–A2. Practise useful French with support, then try it in everyday encounters and return to the warmth of the château.

Explore the winter retreat →
Château de Borie surrounded by trees in southwest France

4–11 September 2027 · Seven nights

Living in French

A week for beginner to intermediate learners: French sessions, village visits, markets and shared meals, with chances to use your French as the days unfold.

Explore the September retreat →

One-to-one online French lessons

French lessons,
made for your life.

Your plans might take you to Nice, Périgueux, Amiens or Bordeaux. We shape the lessons around the conversations waiting for you there: ordering at a restaurant, asking at the bakery, talking with a neighbour or managing a phone call. We can rehearse those situations together on screen, then adapt the next lesson to what you need.

Explore one-to-one lessons →

Online French lessons, built around you

YouTube interviews · Feel Good French

Say Bonjour to your new life.

Listen to real stories of moving to France: the decisions, the surprises and the everyday moments that make a place feel like home. Pick an interview to watch, or take the podcast with you.

Watch the interviews

Meet people building a life in different corners of France, in their own words.

Explore Feel Good French on YouTube

Listen to the podcast

French listening for intermediate and advanced learners, with conversations and other episodes for the journey.

Discover the Feel Good French podcast

Feel Good French Friday: a little France in your inbox

Join 2,000+ readers who begin Friday with a little escape to France – stories, slow living, real-life French, and the feeling of settling in, wherever they are on their journey here.

A note from JaneEmail excerpt“It inspires me, helps me imagine la vie française, and I always pick up a few useful French words along the way. Merci!”Jane · moving to Sarlat from North Carolina

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Inside the Friday letters

A little peek into your inbox.

Two glimpses from past issues: places, personal stories and useful French woven together.

Excerpt from a Feel Good French Friday issue about the quiet art of chiner
The quiet art of chiner
Excerpt from a Feel Good French Friday issue about a Bordeaux market with learners
French at the market in Bordeaux

Free written French level check

What can you already do in French?

Try short multiple-choice questions drawn from everyday situations, from the bakery to the market. It gives you a starting point for what to practise next; it does not measure your speaking or listening.

Try the free level check →
A question from the quiz

Le boulanger continue : « Ce sera tout ? »

Je suis tout, merci.Oui, je suis bon, merci.Oui, c’est tout pour aujourd’hui, merci.
A first step, at your own pace.

What learners say about Feel Good French

Posted on Google Google
George Chruney profile picture
George Chruney
29 July 2026
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My wife and I took and greatly enjoyed Deborah's Survive and Thrive in France class, and would highly recommend it to anyone who wants to improve their French language skills. The way Deb designed the class was very helpful to both beginners and people who already had some grasp of the French language. Her lessons were targeted to real-life situations that ex-pats who currently live in France or people who are planning to move to France. Not only were her lessons helpful in regard to improving one's grasp of the language, but also in the cultural difference that you should be aware of if you are in France. The main thing we appreciated in addition to the skills and pieces of knowledge she shared was how kind, encouraging, friendly and supportive she was as the leader of the course. Her presentation skills were warm and charming. We felt like we were being given advice and assistance from a friend. One last thing that we appreciated was that after the course had officially ended, we still have access to the course materials. This is great because she had many helpful hints about beneficial phrases that I need to go back and make notes about so that I can add them to my verbal French repertoire. Thank you for everything, Deborah!
Posted on Google Google
Glenn ODell profile picture
Glenn ODell
29 July 2026
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Deborah is warm, supportive, knowledgable, positive, gentle, and super passionate not only about France, but of helping others learn the language and enjoy the culture. She understands the awkwardness many (older) people face when learning French. We're used to being competent, and we hit the reset button back to a beginner when we are brave enough to tackle a new language. She encourages that beginner mindset and actually makes it fun! She meets you where you are, and makes you better.
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C N profile picture
C N
28 July 2026
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Olivia has been an excellent French teacher. She is patient, engaging, and creates a comfortable environment that makes learning enjoyable. What we appreciate most is that she recognizes our individual strengths and challenges, and adapts each lesson to meet our needs. Her personalized approach is helping us build confidence in speaking French, and we've truly enjoyed learning with her.
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Angela Sims Evans profile picture
Angela Sims Evans
26 April 2026
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As my husband and I were planning our move to France, we started lessons with Deborah. Her focus on helping people over 50 resonated with us. First Deborah is patient, kind and caring. Our lessons were structured around living in France. We learned grammer, vocabulary, some verb conjugations and worked on pronunctions. Our lessons focused on interactions with the butcher, cheesemonger, vendors at the market, riding the tram, navigating the airport, interacting with our neighbors and etc. All the while sharing French culture and heritage. Her lessons are fun and interactive. We learned a lot and continue to use the tools she taught us every day since moving to France. We highly recommend taking French lessons from her!
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Fern Puls profile picture
Fern Puls
13 October 2025
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Deborah is an outstanding teacher! I took the 10 session one-on-one course with the intention of improving my conversational French and it far exceeded my expectations. Deborah took the time to know my interests in books, movies, and music, in addition to where I'll be living in France. This resulted in lessons that were specific to topics that are interesting to me and will be incredibly useful. The mix of grammar, reading, resources, and fun conversation was perfect. Deborah is kind, patient, and a pleasure to work with. I highly recommend Feel Good French.
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Alex C profile picture
Alex C
12 September 2025
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Déborah is a wonderful educator who teaches her students with skill, patience, kindness and enthusiasm and meets us where we are at in our learning cycles so I highly recommend her to anyone seeking to learn French.
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Alan Gardner profile picture
Alan Gardner
19 August 2025
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It has been a great pleasure to take French lessons with Deborah. She is very personable and makes a point of focusing the course on my capabilities and specific interests. She makes a point of teaching correct pronunciation which is where I need a lot of help. She also hears conversations to mirror my everyday life so that I can be more comfortable in those situations. I would highly recommend her to others who seek to learn French.
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Gwen Gardner profile picture
Gwen Gardner
2 August 2025
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Debra is a wonderful teacher of the French language and culture. The lessons are customized to our levels & interests. Her calm & patient demeanor mixed with humor make the zoom lessons fun, interesting.and informative.
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Karo profile picture
Karo
24 April 2025
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Learning French with Déborah has been a wonderful experience! She is incredibly empathetic and structured in her teaching approach, which creates a perfect balance between guidance and freedom. I’m amazed at how much I learn in a playful and relaxed way. Her lessons are engaging, clear, and tailored to my pace. I’m really grateful to have found her! Next level of language learning, thank you so much for every hour! :-)
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Itsaso Fernandez Aramburu profile picture
Itsaso Fernandez Aramburu
6 December 2024
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Muy buena profesora! Clases muy dinámicas se adapta a lo que el alumno necesita. Insiste mucho en la pronunciación.

Questions before you begin?