Do you know a host family in France?

Question

I would like my 11 year old daughter to interact with French speaking children during summer time, preferably July.

Answer 1

Hello,

When I was in high school I knew of an organization called Youth For Understanding.  Through them, young people (and I believe it was mostly high school aged kids) can spend a summer, a semester, or a full year abroad, living with host families and attending local schools.  You can find them at www.youthforunderstanding.org.

Also, you could try French Bilingual Schools in America, to see if they have any suggestions.  Another idea would be to contact the Alliance Francaise near you, the French cultural wing abroad.  

I spent many a summer abroad in France as a child and youth, and 11 may be a little young to do so alone, especially if you don't know the family.  In my case, my mother had lots of friends in France already, having lived there before, and we found families through them that had children around my age.  The internet might be a bit dodgy to make such a personal connection, especially when talking about entrusting your children to relative strangers.  I would try to see if you can meet any French people around where you live, or go through a reputable agency like the one I suggested.  There are also others like it, if you do a good internet search.

Good luck.  Sending kids abroad to learn and practice new language is one of the best gifts a parent can give.

Answer 2

No but If you contact the french Bureau of Tourism I am sure they will connect you with People that sign up just for this type of Goodwill.