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Aliore

Why choose Aliore?

Aliore offers unique travel experiences, customized to your interests.

We offer:

Language Workshops
Cooking Classes Abroad
Customized Workshops about global history & culture
Dance and singing classes
Arts and Crafts.
and much more!

Do what you love around the world while experiencing the local way of life!

Website
www.aliore.org

Reviews

Default avatar
Melissa
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Amazing Program!

If you have some time and have always wanted to travel abroad, this is a really great and cost-effective way to do it! I highly recommend this program. Aliore is really great and very organized and I always received answers to my questions in a timely manner. The program itself was so much fun as you get matched with a French family and are there to assist with English. It was so fun to share your language and culture, while the family shares their language and culture with you. The families were so kind and welcoming and it is a really great program.

What is your advice to future travelers on this program?
There will be a bit of a language shock at first, and it can be tough if you are not proficient in French, but if you have an interest in language learning and want to learn/work on your French, definitely keep working at it! It is really challenging at first, but it is so worth it! Once you are able to understand and respond in real time, it gets really exciting and feels super rewarding.
Default avatar
Kathleen
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Excellent Program

I have recently returned from four weeks in central France as a Language Assistant through Aliore. The experience far exceeded my very high expectations. The family warmly welcomed me into their home and immediately made me feel as a member of their family. I enjoyed speaking English with the parents as well as the children. It was a pleasure to help the teenage boy with his English homework. In the evenings the entire family and I played games together in English. On the weekends the family took me on wonderful sightseeing trips and during weekdays they made sure that I had interesting activities. I would love to have the family visit me here in the U.S. and I hope to see them again on my next trip to France. Soizick Chartier, the founder and director of Aliore, is always available to answer any questions. She takes a personal interest in matching Language Assistants with families, which results in excellent experiences for everyone.

Pros
  • Opportunity to live with a French family, to see amazing sights and to assist the family in learning English.
Cons
  • None
Default avatar
Olivia
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

People and Places I Will Never Forget!

Aliore allowed me to spend 6 weeks living in the South of France with an amazing host family. By the end of the six weeks, I truly felt like their fourth daughter, and was beginning to feel like a local in the city of Toulon. This experience gave me the freedom to explore on my own, but more importantly, Aliore matched me with a host family that truly cared about me and wanted to show me all the amazing things that Provence has to offer. My host family wanted a more hands-on basis to learning English, meaning we never sat down and had grammar lessons. Rather, we would talk in English at dinner, watch movies in English, ask each other questions about our languages, and much more! I can clearly see how much my host family has improved in their English (they talk to each other in English now, even when I am not in the conversation, it's so awesome to see!) and I know that my French has drastically improved. They have already invited me back to Toulon, and have even chatted with me about coming to visit the US! That same kindness was shown by our advisor at Aliore, Soizick, who we added to our family groupchat to share photos, videos, and updates. I would highly recommend this experience to anyone who is looking for a volunteer based cultural exchange without feeling micromanaged at every step!

What was the most nerve-racking moment and how did you overcome it?
The most amazing part of this experience was a three day hiking trip in the Alps with my host mom and host sister. On the last day, we took a wrong turn and ended up on an insane mountain trail with loose rocks and huge cliffs. I had never hiked anything like it before and was scared out of my mind, but my host mom was extremely calm. I knew that as long as I kept going and remained focused like her, I would be totally fine -- and we all were! That hike was the most amazing experience of my life, and I don't think it would have been the same without overcoming that fear.
Default avatar
Kayla
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

My host family was amazing!

When looking for a host family program, what drew me to Aliore was the locality of it. It's based out of France, so I knew that I would have an experience catered towards French culture. Soizick, the program coordinator, was super helpful every step of the way. She made me feel relaxed and confident and sent many helpful links and materials. My host family was beyond great - I bonded with them right away. They were so welcoming and hospitable and really tried to make me feel at home. Not to mention the city I was placed in, Annecy, is gorgeous. I truly believe I have made lifelong friends, and I plan to return to France to visit my host family again in the future!

Default avatar
Linda
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

The most amazing time in France!

I highly recommend anyone who's looking for a rewarding cultural experience in France to do this program with Aliore! I was matched with a host family in the city of Montpellier. I had the best time ever being completely immersed in French culture and living like a local. All the while, helping with my host family's English and adjusting to their daily routines and lifestyle. My host family were extremely friendly, hospitable and kind-hearted that I adjusted with no problems at all. The program itself offers great flexibility as I had plenty of time to engage in cultural activities locally and explore nearby towns in the region. My French improved immensely too with self-study and constant exposure to the language and culture.

The application process was very simple and straight-forward thanks to Soizick, the program organiser. She was very patient, helpful and quick to reply to any questions I had about the program. It really took away any worries that I initially had. The program is definitely of great value and I got so much more out of it than I expected. I have many wonderful memories with my host family and many enriching cultural experiences that I'll never forget. The most important thing to remember is to be open-minded, flexible, and you get out what you put in!

Programs

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Staff Interviews

These are in-depth Q&A sessions with program leaders.

Soizick Chartier

Job Title
Director
Soizick is the founding member of the association Aliore Worldwide Workshop. Her aim is to help travelers to have real contact with locals while abroad.

What is your favorite travel memory?

participant dinner in France

There are so many, but I would say in Laos when it took two days to travel 400 km, stuck with people who would not speak a word of English. It was such a great laugh. Locals were amazed to see me sharing the same troubles as them, and everyone was so friendly.

When I was in the North of Laos surrounded by beautiful people I could not talk with because of the language barrier, I decided that I had to create a way to be in touch with locals rather than just being a tourist. That's how I decided to create Aliore Worldwide workshops!

How have you changed/grown since working for your current company?

I created the association and it grows with me and my family. As I now have 3 children, I have developed programs for families (participatory holidays) and I carry on developing programs to have real contact with locals according to my tastes, the people I meet, etc..

What is the best story you've heard from a return student?

I had the best New Year's message from an American woman who took part to our language assistant program in France. She wrote "Aliore changed my life!"

She had always dreamt of living in France but never felt that it was possible because she thought that she was too American. Her French experience was so positive, she met friendly people who welcomed her so warmly that she now know that she has a French family and she now knows that all her dreams can be true.

If you could go on any program that your company offers, which one would you choose and why?

Hard question! I have tried some of the courses and they have all been fantastic! It all depends on who you are and what you like. Being a mother with children at the moment, I love the family programs.

For younger or for newly retired people, the language assistant program is great as you can live with locals in France as if you were French yourself! A real authentic experience.

What makes your company unique? When were you especially proud of your team?

We are the only association that offers workshops around the world, learning from locals. Some focus only on one country, but we offer activities in more than 20 countries. For our volunteer programs in France, we organize everything directly and are in contact with the families and the participants, we offer truly tailor made placements!

What do you believe to be the biggest factor in being a successful company?

Participants being happy with their programs.