Aliore

Program Reviews

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Vrinda
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Teach English in France

I lived with a French family in Villeneuve Les Maguelone, close to Montpellier. It was the most amazing month of my life. The family I stayed with was extremely cooperative and kind. I ended up calling my mother and telling her that I feel I have a real family in France, people who took care of me just like my parents. They used to cook separate meals for me because I'm a vegetarian, took me to the neighbouring cities over the weekends. I cooked them an Indian meal, showed them a bollywood movie and did a little bit of yoga with them. It was a language and cultural exchange program for me!

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Marianne
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

conversational exchange

Wonderful program. I was fully immersed in the French way of life. The family were welcoming and showed me many places off the tourist list. I could have stayed longer if my visa allowed me. It is the best way to experience France and the people of France. I emailed the organisaton a few times regarding information and they were prompt to reply. Just a great experience.

What would you improve about this program?
I needed a better understanding of how the transport system worked.
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Christine
1/5
No, I don't recommend this program

Very poor value and very inflexible

The owner of this company Soizick offers a very poor and inflexbile service. She charges high fees for which you get very little in return. I would recommend that you look elsewhere. A very poor experience and zero customer service.

Response from Aliore

Unfortunately your daughter refused a nice family because she wanted to speak French to all members of the family. French families are happy to share their culture and language but they welcome English tutors especially for their kids to hear some English at home, this is the deal! The parents of the family offered to your daughter were happy to speak to her only in French but she declined...

I pay attention to the quality of my families just like I pay attention to the quality of the participants so that everyone have the best experience.

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Mario
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Excellent Program

I had the time of my life while in Paris, thanks to Aliore and its director Soizick who gave me the best customer experience I have ever had. If I had any questions or needed support she was always there to assist me; first she carefully selected a host family for me and made sure I was OK all along, a big THANK YOU to her!

Since everything was well taken care of by Aliore, I didnt have to worry about anything else and just concentrate in learning French, which happened to be the main purpose of my trip. I was able to go from 30% to 70%.

I would definitely recommend this program over any similar program! Traveling, learning a new language and living abroad is such a great experience, I would recommend everyone to do this at least once in their life time.

What would you improve about this program?
Honestly, there's much room for improvement, I would probably recommend to create a Facebook group for participants so they can all provide support for each other while abroad.
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Kaye
4/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Teaching English in Montpellier

I stayed with a very welcoming family on the immediate outskirts of old Montpellier. I was invited to participate in all the family social activities and outings and as a result met a wide variety of interesting locals and managed to gain some insight into everyday French life. In my free time I could walk into town and took the opportunity to visit museums, attend concerts etc. My family had a very relaxed approach to the actual lessons, I had sessions with both a teenager and with an adult at very varied levels of English ability. The most challenging part of the stay is probably living in someone else's space. Establishing a good rapport with the family before arrival, we did so with via Skype, can help you to see if you will feel comfortable with them and to ascertain the nature and level of English sessions.

What would you improve about this program?
A better understanding of the level of English ability and greater assistance with access to good teaching resources.
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Alexandra
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Amazing opportunity for cultural exchange in France!

I spent an unforgettable month in the Loire Valley with a wonderful host family. They were so welcoming from the start and I was included in daily life as well as the events and parties that were happening while I was there. They introduced me to French culture as well as helping me to organise some tourist visits in my spare time. I even had the opportunity to travel to the coast with them for July 14 celebrations.

I was teaching English to a mid teen - there were ups and downs, and obviously it was difficult to motivate a teenager to study English during school holidays, but I was able to discover ways to keep it interesting by using games and popular music in English. Conversing in 'franglais' was also a great way to improve both of our respective vocabularies.

Aside from helping the family with English, I drastically improved my French comprehension and speaking (the first week is the toughest). It's incredible how much you absorb after a month of being immersed in the country. I would definitely recommend having basic French language skills before you sign up as a placement outside of a major city will mean (at least in my case) limited to no English outside of tourist sites.

The team at Aliore are professional and helpful. They did an excellent job at matching my interests and expectations to a family and were easily contactable by phone or email throughout my stay. If you're on the fence about doing this program, just go for it!

What would you improve about this program?
My placement was in a more rural/country area of France, so it was difficult to organise and visit the sights or go out during my free time without a car (public transport was limited).
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Margaret
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Vive Aliore

I had a wonderful experience staying with a family in Paris. I was made to feel very welcome and to feel at home and part of the family. I was only there for a week which made this relaxed openness even more amazing. I wish I had been there longer and would love to go back.
I am not a teacher and the two young girls were a bit reluctant to speak English one to one with me which was quite understandable given that they didn't know me. I worked around this by speaking with their mother in English so they heard a lot of English. Had I been there longer I think this would have helped them. Dinner around the table was a really good time for this. I also did some reading with them and some naming games.
I was able to practise my French which pleased me. It would have been more difficult for me if I had not been able to speak at least some French.
During the week days when the girls were at school and their mother at work, I had time to visit many places in Paris and get to know the local area better than if I was there as a tourist staying in a hotel.
Everything went smoothly with the arrangements made for me by Aliore which was great.

What would you improve about this program?
I was aware of wanting to fulfil my responsibility to help the girls with their English. Given my lack of teaching skills perhaps some more concrete suggestions about games, books etc might have helped. I was certainly given some ideas which helped and perhaps I need to remember that Rome wasn't built in a day!

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Joanna
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

A ONCE-IN-A-LIFETIME Unforgettable Experience!

I was lucky to get such an amazing family. We had an instant chemistry and they treated me like royalty and now we are lifelong friends. Aliore is affordable. In fact, it is the cheapest way to experience such a program. I enjoyed every moment helping a family improve their English whilst I got to improve my French and eat delectable foods. It was such a magnificent cultural exchange. You won't regret it.

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Amy
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Wonderful way to experience true French culture!

I would recommend this program to anyone who wants to truly experience the daily routines, social customs, and typical cuisine of France. It is an unparalleled opportunity to ask questions about things you see or learn, discuss your own culture and get to know a great family. While I was in France, I attended concerts, toured Montpellier and Avignon, and went to the beach with my host family, and it was one of the most memorable experiences of my life.

What would you improve about this program?
Because you become so immersed in the family's life, some people may feel lonely after a few weeks or want to meet others their own age. My family was particularly thoughtful and introduced me to another family's au pair, who was my age, and we met up when we both had free time.
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Geoff
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

An amazing experience in Montpellier

I was fortunate to be placed with a wonderful family in Montpellier during January 2014 and at all times was made to feel part of the family.
I had traveled from a New Zealand summer to the South of France to be immersed in the language and culture.
I had the opportunity to visit schools in Montpellier and to share my 'kiwi' culture with the young people and to help them with their English.
In the family I was able to work with the children and adults in the home, who were at all times keen to improve their English and get to know all about life in NZ.
For me, this was such a beneficial experience and the exchange of language and culture for all parties was so enriching.
I will certainly look to be involved in such a similar experience in the very near future.

What would you improve about this program?
More 'in country' support/communication whilst on the experience.