French girl wanting to spend some time in Britain

[Martin963]

I'm hoping someone here will have some ideas on this - it's got us fairly stumped.

Some French friends would like their sixteen-year-old daughter to spend some time (a few weeks,  probably holiday time) in Britain in order to kick-start her use of the English language.   As far as I can see they'd be happy to pay something for this as any sort of reciprocal "exchange" might be quite difficult as they work unsocial hours.   They would I think like her to stay with a family and be if possible actively involved in things that would enhance her language skills.

So they've asked me if I've any idea and frankly I haven't as we don't have children and therefore don't have the sort of contacts that are needed,  eg local schools etc.

I'd be really grateful if anyone here can recommend either an organisation that arranges this sort of thing or places where I could ask (with the proviso that I have no contacts with schools etc so it's not going to be easy, given that we're not parents).    I have tried googling and one organisation came up but (and maybe I'm being over-cautious here) there seemed to be very little on their website about vetting or safeguards and I wouldn't want to recommend anything that wasn't 100% safe.   

Hoping someone has some bright ideas or pointers.  Thanks!

[Quillan]

I seem to remember something like this being asked here some years ago, it might be worth a search.

[vivienz]

There are lots of language schools along the south coast, particularly in Bournemouth.  They have many European students through the summer and arrange accommodation for them with local families, too.  It might be worth investigating those as they will have all the necessary safety checks in place as well as offering something specifically designed to enhance language skills.

[cardi]

We have had many French youngsters in our home over the years.

Seems like no schools or other organisations do this any longer due to the 'safety checks' which are now required and the reluctance of anyone to risk possible accusations

Private arrangements are still ok as we still do with friends.

The modern world.

[Lehaut]

I raised his same point for the same reason early this year. Two separate families asked us to arrange the same thing with family in the UK for their teenage girls. We turned them both down as we would not wish to make any family member/friend responsible for non English speaking teenage girls in the UK. Schools are available (v expensive because of security, accommodation etc). There are some Brits in France that run immersion programmes which are cheaper. This may, however, be less attractive to the children who want to spend time shopping and living the unsupervised life in London!!

[Martin963]

Thanks everyone.   I shall tell our friends that it's really probably going to have to be a Language School.

As someone said,  "The modern world eh?"

[YCCMB]

To be fair...what is the incentive or benefit to a family of putting up a foreign teenager for a few weeks and having to struggle with helping them to learn another language - especially if the teenager is alone and doesn't have much English ?

Sure, schools are expensive, but they're making a healthy profit on top of providing infrastructure in the form of accommodation, an activity and language programme etc., and many parents who look for a cheaper option will be expecting their offspring to be entertained in that same style at little or additional cost to themselves for a fraction of the cost of a language school arrangement.

Yet, round here there are enormous numbers of such schools..Windsor,Oxford,Brighton, London and most major towns in the South East are bursting at the seams most school holiday periods with groups of students from across the globe. They spend so much time with their compatriots that I doubt they learn much English, but that's an unfortunate by product of the language school formula.

Is it an unfortunate reflection on our times, or is it perfectly understandable that it's hard to find someone willing to take in a teenage house guest for several weeks, providing meals, entertainment, washing, ironing and outings? Think how often people on here complain about hosting family members for longer than a few days. Add to that all the possibilities of language problems and homesickness together with teenage hormones...no thank you!

[richard51]

Funnily enough I think that YCCMB is absolutely right.

A few (not many) years ago we swapped one of our sons with a french family or a week, in return for a reciprocal arrangement with theirs.

It was an excellent experience for both sides.

I wonder if there is an opening, given the vast incomes generated by language schools as YCCMB describes, for a web site based on the principles of "home exchange", which we participate in (Maui in the middle of winter next stop), but for language exchange.

Please donate 10% of profits to me.  .

NB I'm retired but sent OH to London for a fixed contract to pay for the air fares  .

[richard51]

NB I will get OH's response tomorrow night.

[Chancer]

Forward thinking parents start looking for pen-pals for their offspring many years before the need for exchange visits, if that takes off it usually leads to mutual exchanges and sometimes lifelong friendships, often from the parents or other family members.

[lindal1000]

I used to live in one of the seaside towns with lots of language schools. Part of the experience is that the kids were hosted with local families (who received a fee for providing bed, breakfast and evening meals). From what I remember it mostly worked out, but every year some of the local youths would take it upon themselves to beat up a few language students in the town centre. This job was made easy for them by the fact that the language students were forced to carry the obligatory bags, caps and colour coordinated t shirts with the name of the language school emblazoned on it. I can see why parents think a private arrangement might be good.

[Department71]

Martin, do you by any chance have any British friends living nearby who would consider maybe having said child visiting them for a day or so to get the feel of the language, this could bypass the feeling  of "living in another country" give the 16yr old a bit more confidence and a get out clause if need be.

If the brits spoke only English to her  that should help and the words she doesn't understand hopefully they could explain what they mean.

Just a thought.

[Hereford]

We too lived in a south coast town and some language schools went the "home hosting route" - usually to social housing estates nowhere near the town centre.  However one school at least, a boarding school, housed the students in their boarding accommodation so they were not loose in the town and went on organised outings each afternoon after morning lessons. More expensive for parents but much better for the students.

[Jonzjob]

[quote user="Department71"]Martin, do you by any chance have any British friends living nearby who would consider maybe having said child visiting them for a day or so to get the feel of the language, this could bypass the feeling  of "living in another country" give the 16yr old a bit more confidence and a get out clause if need be.

If the brits spoke only English to her  that should help and the words she doesn't understand hopefully they could explain what they mean.

Just a thought.

[/quote]

Our neighbour has her granddaughter living with her and for the past 7 or so years now we have been helping her with her English and when I see her I only speak to her in English and she has had some very good marks for her English and is told that the comprehension of the lang is very good. She even knows some Cockney rhyming sland too [:-))] She is a university now so we don't see her so often, but when we do she gets English from me.. In return, her grandmother corrects my already perfect French  [:$][:$][8-)]

As for student swaps? They used to be quite popular and a good thing, but I have no idea how they are now?

[Martin963]

Thanks again folks.   Someone else has recommended the a2z school in Manchester,   and I have passed this thread and that recommendation on to our friends.