Teach English in a Homestay in France for up to 3 Months

I was accepted to teach in a French school rather than homestay, the program was canceled after I had been accepted. Rather than making me shift to a different program, Greenheart worked with me and allowed me to do what I had initially intended. I adored my host family and school, and had a great connection with my teachers and the students in my short time there. My host family really helped me to adjust to France, and taught me a lot of words and phrases that I could use. They encouraged me to explore the town and city, and taught me how to cook and bake French foods. It helped me grow my confidence as a French speaker, and someone who works with students. I was supposed to do the 3 mos. program, but left after 1.5 weeks due to Covid. Greenheart and its partners were helpful and understanding, and did the best they could to answer my questions in such an uncertain time for the world. They answered my questions as best they could, and I am looking to do another program with them in the future. I cannot say how the price of the program matches what was provided since I did not get to fully experience it, but I do not regret going. I spoke conversational french, but far behind the level that I thought I did. I suggest being truthful with your language level, and learning the basics.

My experience with Greenheart was absolutely amazing! I was placed in the South of France with a small and sweet family. We all got along really well and the girls always made effort to learn and speak English! My experience was very unique because of my family's schedule. I would spend weekdays with them, but on weekends they would leave so I got to explore and do my own thing! Greenheart made my experience such a breeze! With such a reliable and responsive team, I never really felt like I was alone being abroad (especially as it's my first solo trip!). I loved my experience so much I decided to stay for the rest of the year here in France. It's an excellent program that I would recommend to anyone wanting an immersive, cultural adventure whether it be for professional or personal reasons!

Greenheart Travel allowed me to make my dream of living in France a reality by living with a family and teaching them English for a month. From the moment I committed to the program, the Greenheart staff were so supportive, organized, and welcoming. Over a month, I tried new foods, went to local festivals, improved my French, and even tagged along in a helicopter over the Pyrenees mountains. I learned so much about myself and my place in the world. I was able to do some traveling on my own of the region, but my favorite parts were everyday goings-on. My host family has become like a second family to me, and we are making plans to meet in a few months. I highly recommend GT to anyone who wants to travel and experience a country's culture firsthand!

This entire experience is hands down, the best experience of my life so far! I got to see France from a local’s view and completely immersed myself into the daily lifestyle and culture. My host family and I hit it off right from the beginning and that’s a huge part as to why this program went so well. I got to explore so much of southern France and a few other places. I figured out how to navigate myself in a foreign country which was a huge challenge at the beginning, but I became confident by the end! My host family hardly spoke any English when I first got there, mostly due to lack of confidence and vocabulary, but once we bonded, they were speaking English all the time! It was great to see them build their confidence by having to practice their English all day long!

Not a good program at all! Overpriced! Basic needs were not even covered. Greenheart does not follow through with what they tell you they will give you. Felt more like a workaway experience. Was not given 3 meals a day and hot water did not work properly in homestay. None of the money goes to the host families so the organization overcharges volunteers and pockets the money. Organization does not reply to emails in a timely manner and when complaints are brought up, nothing is done about it. Local support is very poor. Very bad experience overall. Felt ripped off.
I did not receive "Three home-cooked meals a day for duration of program" that I was supposed to receive for the whole duration of my stay.
I definitely did not get the support I needed from the local staff for the $500 they received from me. The least they could have done for me was tell me to book my train ticket earlier before I arrived because I had to pay 100 euro for a train ticket that would normally cost 15-30 euro if I had booked it at least a week in advance.
The hot water did not work in the washroom they had given me to use. It would only work for about 10 minutes and then would completely stop. Therefore, I was only able to shower once a week! This should have been checked for the $500 I paid for the "Host family search, screening, and placement process" and the "background check".
I also do not understand why I had to pay $100 for the "Comprehensive medical/accident insurance" when all that was done was the registration for this. Moreover, I had my own medical insurance so this should have been optional.
I also did not even receive the package that I was supposed to receive via mail form Greenheart.

I will start off by giving a shout out to Allison Yates, my homestay coordinator. She made this all happen for me in a matter of weeks. I'm eternally grateful for her patience, hard work and expertise! Since I was a pre-teenager, I'd wanted to live and teach in France. I learned about the culture and learned French, never having the opportunity to stay more than 1 week in Paris. To say the least, Southwestern France is incredibly different from Paris. While I can appreciate Paris for it's amazing arts and culture, living in Tarbes was beyond worthwhile as my French skills were used every day to do just about everything! I loved the fact that not many people spoke fluent English like in Paris. I grew to love my host family, they truly became my family away from family. I spent my weekdays teaching English and my weekends traveling around Southwestern France. This trip was something that I'd wanted for a very long time! As a former classroom teacher, I solidified my teaching skills and expanded my cultural perspective. Depending on where you live in France, you should have a basic grasp of the language so that you can be somewhat independent when you're on your own. The French will appreciate any effort that you make, trust me. Greenheart found a family that would be able to accomodate my dairy allergy and this felt like a miracle in a country like France where so many staple foods are dairy products. I really can't speak highly enough of the program! It's a great deal for the experience that you get.

Greenheart Travel completely has my heart! My experience in Dunkerque, France with their Teach English in a Homestay program was absolutely 100% perfect. I now have lifelong friends in France-the family I stayed with really does feel like my own family now. I was able to travel to other countries with them-Great Britain-and by myself-Belgium. We had tons of fun exploring together and MOST IMPORTANTLY I feel like I really know the local lifestyle of how it really is to live in France. My favorite memory was hiking along the seaside cliffs at Cap Blanc Nez. My biggest tip would be to always say YES to doing activities with your family and if you leave in the fall to bring layers to wear!

I loved my 3 months in France. My host family were great, so friendly and generous, and they fully included me in their lives for the time I was with them. I was surprised how well matched we were. My French improved a lot.
The support from Greenheart Travel was really good. Everything went smoothly during the application procedure, and the pre-departure info was thorough. All my emails were answered quickly and fully.