French Immersion Homestay At Teacher’s In Fillinges Near Geneva

My daughter Melanie stayed for a week with Aurore’s family. She felt like at home. The bedroom was very comfortable with a private bathroom. Aurore was amazing preparing meals for her everyday. She also plan 2 field trips. One a hike and picnic, that we enjoy a lot accompanied by her dog Olli who is adorable. The second to a beautiful village with her daughter, where we went for a boat ride around the lake.
She has a very well plan schedule everyday. My daughter receive clases in the morning and then they practice in the afternoon through other days activities.
The overall experience was great. She is a wonderful teacher but also a very nice person who made us fell like at home. Her family is very nice too.

I was able to spend a wonderful week at Aurore’s and her family’s. Of course, I learned a lot during focused lessons, but the long discussions during hikes, daily runs, and exchanges with the family and friends were particularly instructive. A perfect preparation for my professional tasks – and a beautiful experience in the spectacular landscapes of Haute Savoie. Thank you!

I came for a week in the autumn with rainy weather, which did not stop us from going out every day because we love to chat while walking and also to discover the local area: the tour of Lake Môle, the paths of the Arve, the millstone quarries of Vouan. We would go grocery shopping and take a little trip to the traditional market and cook with local products. I loved the day at the Haute-Savoie International Fair with a lunch break featuring specialties. I will not forget the evening with the family and the Italian mother-in-law who taught me how to make “Pasta al forno”: we played a lot of board games and laughed a lot!

This is my third year staying with a French family, so while I am not an expert, I can compare this homestay with the other ones. My experience with Aurore was unique in many ways.First, Aurore is a very, warm and welcoming person. I immediately felt at ease with her and her family. She was always making sure that I was comfortable and happy. I also en-joyed her lessons; she is a good teacher. Her home is unusual because, you can walk out of her back yard and you are on a walking trail. Each time we took a path there was plenty to see and do. One day we took a path to pick the local blackberries and then made a tart with them. An-other day we walked up to an area that used to supply millstones for allover Europe in the Middle Ages. Another time we walked with a neighbor and learned about the local flora and fauna. Each time we took a trail there was always new things to see and do. Aurore also has a well-kept, clean, beautiful pool. I had no reactions to the pool, and my skin is very sensitive. For me, the pool was a lovely way to end the day. It is available all the time, and the family was frequently enjoying it. Given that the summer can be hot, the pool is a real bonus. Aurore has a wonderful immediate and extended family. I had lunch at her mother-in-laws house, and dinner at her brother’s house, where I played pétanque. Family and friends frequently dropped by so there were more people to talk to. Aurore had a list of excursions, and I got to choose the excursions which were great. We went to the medieval city, Yvoire, explored the city of Annecy, rode on a boat on Lake Leman, visited a snail farm,toured a clock museum, spent time at a country fair, bought food at a outdoor lo-cal market, and much more. Aurore is a good cook, and made some of the local dishes. Another unique aspect was that we ate out some of the time. One day, we had lunch out at a cafe, and I ordered what the locals ate when they were out. Another day we picked up sandwiches at a lo-calbakery before going on a hike around a lake. We went into Switzer-land and hiked up to a local restaurant to have lunch. In my other
homestays, I never ate out, but then it is expensive to eat out.Eating out with a local is a unique experience. If you like animals you are going to be in heaven. Their border collar is charming and just wants to beloved. The chickens are entertaining and produce the wonderful eggs you will have in your meals. The two cats are beautiful, but very reserved.Bottom Line – I had a wonderful time and I hope to go back.

Merci infiniment, Aurore
Si j’étais pas venue, oh quel tort!
Tant de choses j’aimerais te dire encore.
La belle maison, le beau jardin: quel paradis.
Voir tout ça, j’étais étourdie.
Holly, le gentil chien,
je l’aimais bien.
Aussi les quatre poules,
elles étaient très cool.
Aurore, Eva, Matteo et Nello,
en fait, tout le clan: che bello!
Sans oublier la bonne cuisine,
les baignades dans la piscine.
Tu as investi beaucoup de patience,
pour mon apprentissage, quelle chance!
A toutes les excursions qu’on a faites
j’éprouvais une joie complète.
On a même joué à la pétanque.
Malheureusement, c’est l’habitude qui me manque.
Je n’ai pas voulu faire la grève
pour aller à Genève,
ni pour monter au Salève.
Dans votre famille aimable je suis entrée,
maintenant, c’est le temps pour rentrer.
Je ne vais jamais oublier ce stage,
donc, j’aimerais bien vous faire hommage.
Hélas, pas au revoir, mais adieu.
Tout était super bien mieux!

Charmi spent three weeks with Aurore and everything went very well. Charmi has a reserved character and was not used to staying in another family; she participated in all the activities but spoke little at first, then she opened up to discussion first with her attentive teacher and then with all the family members, and Olli was her best companion. Her sister Maya, a complete beginner but very comfortable communicating, joined them in the second week with a good meal shared between our two families. The last week flew by with camaraderie and great French learning. With Aurore, they went on sporting excursions: summer sledding and treetop courses, as well as local outings, theater, and an open-air cinema: my daughters grew up with these weeks of immersion with Aurore as a tutor: I recommend it!

My daughter Stefania, 14 years old, spent a week of studious vacation with Aurore, her French as a second language teacher; she speaks French well and needed to improve her writing: reading comprehension and written production. Every day she took beautiful walks with Olli in the forest, picking blackberries to make a pie. She enjoyed the pool and fun activities in the shade of the linden tree in the garden. She took care of the chickens, the cat, the dog, and felt comfortable with everyone and also with the neighbor of her age. She completed a beautiful writing project—a photo journal with the day’s activities and the recipes she loved to make with her teacher: thank you, Aurore!