Program Reviews

Pros: Nice Family with great accommodation, very attentive and helpful staff who coordinate the visit, efficiently run and I never felt as if I was without help or direction.

Cons: Insufficient guidance for teaching, too much time spent with host family which results in a very limited experiences of China, surrounded by too much English so rare of mandarin progress is not at all what I had expected, teaching philosophy in China different to that in most European countries that often work with the children feels unrewarding or even counter productive; its hard to get enthusiastic about your job when you belive you are being asked to do the wrong thing.

Overall: An enjoyable experience but not what I had expected. I wasn’t able to teach in the way I wanted to and that marred the experience. The most enjoyable aspects are invariably those spent away from the family and the program. I would recommend it to a friend but not without fair warning.

I thoroughly enjoyed participating in this program! I feel very grateful that I was given the opportunity to travel to China and learn Chinese all for free. My host family was welcoming, friendly and so kind. They went out of their way to make me feel at home and were constantly concerned that I might be homesick or not comfortable (but I never was!). I was very lucky because I enjoyed a lot of free time. I would only have to teach my host child, Vicky (12 years-old), for around 2 hours a day and the rest of the day we would often go out and explore Beijing together. (However, I would like to point out that I was really lucky, I know that some of my friends had to work 5+ hours a day). I also had one and a half days off a week where I could meet up with my friends. My favourite thing about the program was the Chinese lessons. I had an amazing teacher who made the lessons fun and relaxed, I also made great friends with the other au pairs in these classes. I would really recommend this program as I have learnt so much about Chinese culture, but also going to a new country on your own really pushes you out of your comfort zone, making you a more confident and able person! My advice to future au pairs would be to speak up if you have any problems. Don't feel embarrassed or like a burden if you feel homesick or uncomfortable. There is a team of Lo Pair staff who you can talk to and it's their job to support you! If you have any problems with the host family they may be able to advice you on what to do or explain why they be doing something, after all it could simply be a culture clash. Also, I would advice you to be open and communicative with your host family. For example, towards the end of the program my host child, Vicky, began to completely ignore me and didn't want to study with me. This was really shocking and I questioned if I had done something wrong. However, when I spoke to her parents about it they revealed that she was jealous of me and it was nothing to do with anything that I had done. If I hadn't have been open with them about how I felt I would never have known that!

I went in China with lopair, a partner of my french agency. My experience as an au pair was amazing, it makes me grow and develop my patience.
My family was really nice, kind with me and thanks to them I discover a lot of things about China (like food, a lot of food and culture).
When you get used to Chinese customs, it’s really easy. People are really nice and helpfull with you. I really love China 🇨🇳

I spent 6 weeks in Hangzhou in a very nice family with two 5 year-old twin girls. The matching process was made rather easy by Lopair even if I had asked to go to Shanghai in the first-place (in retrospect I am really happy I spent these few weeks in Hangzhou and not Shanghai as Hangzhou is a better place to explore traditional China).

BEST PARTS ABOUT THE PROGRAM :

- Being able to discover/explore China on my own was definitly what I was looking forward to the most. After 6 weeks, I can say I have become a lot more confident in travelling by myself, meeting new people, trying new things and starting conversations with locals.

- My Mandarin has improved a lot as the program is a chance to be fully immersed in a Chinese family and the Mandarin lessons I had twice a week were taught by a great teacher.

- The people you get to meet. Spending 6 weeks (or more) in China can get very isolating if you don't make an effort to meet people and make friends. I was very lucky I got along so well with my classmates and also got the chance to go out with other au pairs in my free time. I also made a few Chinese friends that I keep in touch with over wechat and hope to visit in the future !

- The support provided by Lopair was great for me. Both my local coordinator Yvonne and June were amazing, checking up on me and taking me (with one or multiple other au pairs) for coffee and dinner. It really made me feel like I had someone to turn to in case of an issue.

THINGS TO TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION / NEGATIVE ASPECTS :

- One thing I would say to anyone considering doing the programme though is to not underestimate how much effort and energy needs to be put in teaching and supervising kids. It is a real job that requires commitment and a love for kids. 6 weeks can be long if you don't like being around kids all the time.

- The biggest downside to my 6 weeks in Hangzhou was that, because my host family's house was so incredibly far from the city center (about 2h30!!), I wasn't able to go out with friends in the evening or even in the afternoon and stayed in the house even when I was supposed to have some free time. So do ask how far the house is from the language school and the city center !!
In the end it turned out fine because my host family went to Japan for 10 days and paid for a hotel for me in the center so I did have these days to explore more by myself and hang out with people my age.

In conclusion, my 6 weeks in Hangzhou truly were an amazing for me and it really has reinforced my love for China. I am incredibly grateful to my host family who was wonderful in every way and tried their best to share their culture with me. I hope to go back to Hangzhou very soon :)

I've had a great time here is Beijing and it's all thanks to the family I was staying with and the friends I got to make. Making sure you're with the right family is key to your enjoyment of the program. But don't worry, if you are unlucky enough to get a family that you don't click with then it is easy enough to switch. LoPair are great at finding new matches and making sure you are housed and comfortable.

Overall I've enjoyed myself a lot and I will be very sad to leave. I am very glad I got to experience China and I will definitely be coming back!

I took part in the Lopair summer program and it was a great six weeks, where I was able to discover the wonders of China. The Lopair team where great helping with any problems anyone may have in the country. My advice for anyone interested in this program, is that you should go for it! However educate yourself on the cultural differences before you go, and on arrival put in a good plan with the family.

This experience was really an incredible opportunity. I lived with a Beijing family with friendly kids who were keen to teach me lots about the culture. My family also took me on holiday with them around China. I’ve learned so much over 6 weeks and eaten things I never knew you could eat! I would recommend participants to definitely choose their host family carefully, and not just go with their first family if they have doubts about being happy.

I lived with a family in Beijing who had a little 4 year old girl. My family were brilliant - they were welcoming, down-to-earth and made an effort to take me to restaurants, concerts and cultural sites. During the week I would read English books to the child, teach her maths and help her practice piano; when this was done we would play for the rest of the day. My local coordinator was Nancy and she was really helpful in addressing any issues I had.

Twice a week I would attend Mandarin classes. The language course was one of the best parts of the experience and I highly recommend it. As well as being fun and well-taught, the language course gives you an opportunity to meet other au pairs and is a fantastic boost to your CV. I’d like to continue to learn Mandarin back at home as I enjoyed it that much.

Once a week, on my day off, I would meet up with the other au pairs and we would spend the day doing a cultural activity together, like visiting a temple or going to an art gallery. This too was one of the best parts of the trip; I made some fantastic friends and after the culture shock of living in China it’s always good to be able to talk in English and eat some Western food together! We mostly came from the same university so we had lots in common already.

I was placed in Beijing this summer in a lovely host family, with Ricky (aged 6) as the only child. His English was very good, and so the teaching aspect was not too difficult in terms of planning - lots of reading, drawing (such as science, which he has a big interest in), watching English documentaries and writing.

The host family were extremely welcoming, taking me to lots of lovely restaurants, as well as trips to the theatre, theme park and the Great Wall. They were also very good with the schedule, sticking to the hours always, which I have heard is not the case for all au pairs (some other lopair summer educare participants were working up to 50 hours a week, rather than the advertised 35 hours).

The mandarin lessons were very useful, and also a great way to meet other au pairs, including those from other agencies rather than just lopair. This allowed us to meet up on Sunday’s too (most of our days off) to visit attractions. The TESOL course was also very useful for the programme, and was easy to complete whilst on the exchange itself.

I had two issues with the programme. Firstly, the host child was much less obedient than I would expect for a 6 year old - I have dealt with many 6 year olds in England before teaching reading etc., and I’ve never had them straight up refuse to do activities and throw so many tantrums. From what I have heard, this is the case for quite a few families, so I guess it is just a difference in culture - by the end of the program, I was mostly able to control these issues by finding ways around them (such as getting him to watch a science video and then draw an annotated diagram of an experiment.

Secondly, I found that the support at lopair varies hugely depending on the staff member - some were extremely useful, such as the Uk coordinator Hannah in helping with medical forms and submitting my application. When I wanted to ask about extending insurance, on the other hand, I never got a final reply with a price so had to go elsewhere - this was for the best, given I found out I hadn’t even been insured by lopair for the first couple of days! The visa process could have also been much better - luckily I had booked a slot at the London visa centre, as this has to be done weeks in advance - I only received my documents from lopair around 2 days before this slot, and if I hadn’t booked this slot and did so when I got the documents I don’t think I would have been able to make the trip.

I spent six weeks in Shenzhen in a family with two boys (4 and 5 years old). The tuition part of the program was very challenging, as the kids are still small and learning basic things even in their own language. For anyone matching with a family with small children, my best tip is that communication with the parents is key - setting down expectations, updating on progress, and creating a structure beyond just play, for teaching them English.
Overall, I had an amazing time. I got to experience the main attractions and life in ShenZhen, as well as the opportunity to go to HuiZhou and Guangzhou with the family. They treated me very well and I was always made to feel comfortable in their home. The kids were naughty at times, but overall it was a delight to be able to work with them and experience their life.
Lopair was excellent throughout the process, and the extra Chinese classes that the program includes were very beneficial. I was in a class of only two students, so we got to learn a lot of extra vocabulary that is used on the daily, which greatly improved my communication and speaking skills in Chinese.
I would definitely recommend anyone looking for a cultural immersion opportunity to apply to this program. The terms are incredible, and the experience you can gain is very valuable. I went on this trip to get a taste of China before I have to come here to study for a full year, and I can honestly say I can't wait to come back! This is the perfect program for anyone looking to get into Chinese/exploring Chinese culture, as well as for someone who has already studied Chinese and wants a more daily-life immersion into family lifestyle and culture.