Founder & Director: Gabrielle Howard
Gabrielle has been a resident at Chateau Terre Blanche in Chalabre for 5 years. She oversees the management of the Chateau and the establishment of L’Ecole de Langue Chalabre, while running a successful endocrinology practice in her hometown of Sydney, Australia.
A Message from Gabrielle
I fell in love with France at 22 years of age. It was just so different from the world I knew in Australia, that it totally fascinated me. It became my lifetime dream to gain some insight into the French way of life and culture and so enrich my own life.
Charlemagne once said,“to have another language is to have a second soul.” And so I have spent my adult life trying to learn French, and also trying to instill in my children, a love of languages and the many worlds that they open. Uninspired myself at school with the dull language program, I sought bilingual schools for my children and immersion into French life through exchanges and French schools.
My partner and I are now the most fortunate people in the world to be the owners of the boutique Château Terre Blanche in a relatively undiscovered corner of France. The Occitanie is steeped in history, surrounded by the majestic Pyrenees, stunning lakes and rolling green fields. We enjoy long lunches of wine, cheese and other local produce in abundance, the four distinct seasons of the year, and every outdoor activity that one could desire.
We have worked together with an extraordinary bilingual team of well-qualified language educators, chefs and hospitality experts to bring you Château Terre Blanche and L’Ecole de Langue Chalabre. We offer not only exceptional accommodation and food, but also full immersion programs in either French or English, for business or personal use. Immersion is without a doubt the best way to really progress in a language, and we offer something unique at an exceptional standard. We also include an array of other activities with bilingual ancillary staff, including cooking classes, guided wine tours, yoga, sketching and other art classes, just to name a few, to make your experience a memorable and educational one.
Teachers
Our bilingual team of well-qualified language educators
François Hédou – French Language Specialist
I was born in France but spent most of my life in the UK due to my Scottish origins. I quickly turned to teaching to make the most of my bilingual skills and desire to pass them on. After graduating from Moray House University, Edinburgh, I started my teaching career at high school and primary schools. Then I worked as an oral examiner on behalf of the Scottish Qualification Authority, taught evening classes as a French tutor at St Andrews University and ended up holding the position of the Head of French Department at the prestigious George Heriot’s School of Edinburgh, Scotland where I spent most of my 20 year career.
Now living back in France, I have gained further experience teaching in French High Schools, and offering services as a teacher/ translator to local individuals, groups, companies, and councils. My passion for teaching will never die, and my enthusiasm for languages seems to rub off on my students who enjoy learning and working with me. As a native French speaker, they benefit from my love of country, language and culture. With 20 years experience, my lessons are expertly tailored to individual or group needs, offering a challenging but rewarding moment, where I never fail to bring my joie de vivre!
Robert Hendry – Business English Specialist
Having worked as a business financial adviser for a major UK bank for 13 years and in the English financial services sector here in France, I have accumulated a full range of business teaching experience. I was head of 1st Year English at a prestigious Grande Ecole in Toulouse where the courses were based on English usage in the workplace and taught to exam level. I have provided business and accounting courses in English, taught the French parachute regiment, the Red Cross and have given business courses to high level employees at companies such as Airbus. My experience also includes one to one English courses for business people needing to improve their language skills for either their own business or for their employed position.
Lesson content is tailored to individual needs and can include formal/informal meetings, technical presentations, formal written communications, technical business language, negotiation, formal/informal social interaction in the workplace.
I am CELTA qualified and have been teaching business English for 15 years. My belief is that learning English for whatever reason should be challenging, goal-orientated, individualized, practical to the real world, and above all fun and rewarding.
Eve Lyne Keane – Director of Studies
I have been working in education for most of my adult life, mainly as a teacher and administrator in private secondary schools, English as a Second Language
schools, and private university. I have even more experience establishing and
overseeing new schools, educational programs, implementing curriculum and developing online learning. I earned my Certificate for English Language Teaching (CELT) in Dublin, Ireland and taught there for 5 years, spending most of that time at the International Department of Griffith College, Dublin.
Recently I’ve extended my reach to include online digital teaching in a virtual
role as an English Trainer for business professionals around the world.
I’m thrilled to bring my love of teaching and educational expertise to L’Ecole
de Langue Chalabre, to French business professionals and to students needing
to improve their English, as well as to English speaking students and
professionals wanting to learn French through immersion in a beautiful
Château setting in the middle of the charming village of Chalabre. We envision
hosting language leaners from around the world!