Winter 2027 Session. Enroll today！
immersion experience

5-day Immersion in Quebec City 

Dates: March 16-20, 2027
Base: Old Quebec City (QC) 
Group Size: Maximum 8 participants
Cost: US$1,000
7 spots available

NOTE: 6 hours of daily walking required (see below).
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Note: Beyond the French language, this immersion has a few requirements. Participants must have read at least five of the seven books of the Liseurs et Raconteurs reading cycle (see below). They must be between 21 and 67 years old, and they must be fit enough to walk about 3 hours each morning, at a slower than average pace, and 3 hours in the afternoon, at the same pace. Please note that the immersion experiences are active, in the sense that we won't be sitting the whole day, or renting a car in order to go from place to place.

Why should I join this immersion experience?

Imagine a week where French is not limited to the classroom, but is experienced fully in the streets of one of the most beautiful cities in North America.
For five days, we will explore Quebec City together, its history, culture, and literature, while practicing French in a natural and stimulating way. This immersion experience is designed for those who wish to deepen their connection to the French language while discovering an exceptional city.

Each day will begin in a café in the city, over a convivial breakfast. This moment will give everyone the opportunity to gather, talk freely, and start the day in French in a relaxed atmosphere.

We will then continue with a two-hour interactive workshop devoted to one of the five books selected for the week. These workshops will be moments of exchange, reflection, and discussion in French, where participants can share ideas, enrich their vocabulary, and develop greater speaking fluency.

The afternoons will be dedicated to discovering Quebec City through its emblematic landmarks, cultural institutions, and unique heritage. You will not simply visit the city; you will also learn to understand it.

A reading journey before the trip

This immersion is the final chapter of Liseurs et Raconteurs, The French Club's reading cycle of seven books about Québec. To take part, participants must have read at least five of the seven books before the immersion begins on March 16, 2027.

Why? Each morning workshop in Québec City is devoted to one of these books. Having read them means everyone arrives with shared cultural references, vocabulary already in place, and ideas ready to discuss. The conversations will be richer, and you will recognize in the streets, museums, and institutions of the city what you first discovered on the page.

The seven books of the cycle:
  • L'Histoire du Québec en 30 secondes, by Jean-Pierre Charland and Sabrina Moisan
  • Conversations avec un enfant curieux, by Michel Tremblay
  • Chroniques de jeunesse, by Guy Delisle
  • Ordures ! Journal d'un vidangeur, by Simon Paré-Poupart
  • Kukum, by Michel Jean
  • Volkswagen Blues, by Jacques Poulin
  • Là où je me terre, by Caroline Dawsons

You can read on your own or join the monthly online book club meetings (Saturdays, 8:30 to 9:30 pm, Montreal time). The meetings are an excellent way to prepare. Full details: www.frenchclub.net/book-club

5-Day French Immersion — Québec City

Program for the Week:

Guided tour of Old Québec, a UNESCO World Heritage Site
Visit to the Monastère des Augustines
Meeting with a bookseller from Librairie Pantoute to discuss Québec literature
Visit to the Citadelle of Québec
Visit to the Musée de la civilisation
Guided tour of the National Assembly of Québec
Visit to the Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec, home to the largest collection of Québec art

The evenings will remain free so that everyone can enjoy the city at their own pace. For those who wish, some optional activities will be offered, such as a Meetup gathering with francophones and French learners, or a comedy show in one of the city's clubs.

For participants arriving in Québec earlier, an optional excursion to the impressive Montmorency Falls will be offered on the Sunday preceding the start of the immersion.

This immersion is intended for people who enjoy the French language, stimulating discussions, culture, and meaningful travel.

If you would like to experience French in a different way, meet other enthusiasts, and discover Québec from a unique perspective, this week could become one of the highlights of your journey.

General Daily Schedule

Breakfast: 8:30–9:30
Workshop: 9:30–11:30
Lunch Break: 11:30–13:30
Visits and Discoveries: 13:30–17:30
Evenings: Free, with optional activities

Places are limited in order to preserve a friendly and interactive experience.
Reserve your place and come experience French in the heart of Québec.

Meet Your Hosts

François Normandeau, founder and senior teacher of The French Club, leads most of our immersions himself. Québécois, with Indigenous roots on both sides of his family, he has lived in Hungary, Spain, Monaco, Italy, Mexico, and Antigua. He teaches French, drawing on the other languages he speaks to explain why it works the way it does. He has given more than 6,000 lessons at a five-star rating, and is the author of Why Learning Any Language Feels Difficult, drawn from the method behind everything he teaches. 

His path here was not a straight one. He spent twenty-five years as a senior commodities trader, from 2000 to 2025, and began teaching French alongside that career in 2017, at a university south of Barcelona. In September 2024 he started The French Club. What he has built since is striking. Starting alone, he grew a community of more than 36,000 members, and in January 2026 opened a learning platform that, by September 2026, already had over 1,500 students. 

Paul Sebastianelli joins as a second host and Italian-fluent guide. A multilingual Canadian and father of three, he returned to his schoolboy French at the end of 2023, after thirty years away and after becoming fluent in Italian. His passion is literature, and he reads widely in all three languages, from the great 18th and 19th century classics, Dickens and Dostoevsky, Steinbeck and Orwell, to modern French-Canadian writing. He holds that the voyage matters as much as the destination.

Practical Details

  • Reading requirement: At least five of the seven books of the Liseurs et Raconteurs cycle must be read before the immersion begins.
  • My role: French language coach, cultural guide, and translator — available 8 hours/day (8:00 am–6:00 pm).
  • Meals: Daily group lunch. All meals, including these lunches, are at your own expense and not included in the immersion fee. Breakfast and dinner are optional and at your discretion.
  • Accommodation: Participants arrange their own lodging.
  • Arrival/Departure: Please plan to arrive at least one day before program start day.
  • Not included: Flights, lodging, all meals, airport transfers, visas, and personal expenses.

Refund Policy

  • Full Refund: If you cancel 45 days before the trip, you will receive a full refund. Refunds are issued within 7 days of receiving your written cancellation notice.
  • Partial Refund: If you cancel between 44 to 21 days before the trip, you will receive a partial refund (50%). Refunds are issued within 7 days of receiving your written cancellation notice.
  • No Refund: If you cancel within 20 days of the trip, no refund will be issued, as this is considered a late cancellation.
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