The Little House of Different Cultures

Specialties

The Little House of Different Cultures is a home-​based French and Spanish Language Immersion School, open to people of all ages, from the youngest toddlers to the oldest great-​grandparents! Children learn through creative games, stories, music, play-​acting, and guided conversations. Adults also enjoy guided talks, while sipping tea around the table. The logistics of the languages are taught; however, the emphasis is on learning how to think and communicate orally in the new tongue (s), from the very beginning! This is made possible by the tiny size of the groups, which never go over 5 participants! The atmosphere is relaxed, non-​intimidating, and extremely conducive to learning, as students dare to try expressing their thoughts, with the knowledge that they will be — gently! — corrected, if in error! Little by little, everyone develops confidence, and becomes more proficient. And doors open unto the world at large…

History

Established in 1985.

My name is Catherine Fessard. I had always dreamed of becoming a teacher! Indeed, when very young I used to teach imaginary pupils, then my younger sisters, and later friends and private students. When I started teaching in the traditional schools, I was dismayed to realize how very different the reality was from what I had always imagined! It is extremely difficult to make a language come alive, when you are facing a larger group of people sitting at desks! It was in this context that I felt a calling to open my own program! The Little House of Different Cultures:

La Petite Maison Française/​La Casita Española, was then created. I started originally in a day care setting with a specialty in the French language. Little by little, the set up changed; the private adult students became part of the regular program; and then I added Spanish! And it has been a marvelous adventure, to watch the school blossom, as well as the people who have been a part of it since 1985…