What People Say
Thank you Boost Your French for organising the placement of a lifetime! I had an amazing experience and didn’t just learn a lot of French, I also learnt how to be more independent and how to adapt to a different way of living and working, resulting in an enormous confidence boost!
I’m really happy to have had the opportunity to improve my French in the beautiful region of Alsace. The region is rich in history and has a beautiful countryside, and I was even able to visit the European centre in Strasbourg. My level of French has improved more than I had wished for and it has been a really great experience.
This summer I was working as a stagiaire (intern) receptionist in a hotel in the French Alps. Although challenging at first, especially phone calls and giving guests accurate information, I was really surprised by week three or four how comfortable it all felt. Work was only 35 hours a week so outside of these hours I would always go hiking with my French colleagues who were fantastic people. No need to pay for transport; hitch hiking (‘faire du stop’) always worked. Valerie, my boss, and my work colleagues were extremely helpful. If I would have any advice to give a future stagiaire, it’s don’t be afraid to ask questions and don’t be afraid of making mistakes. My French came on leaps and bounds during my placement, which will stand me in good stead for my final year of French at university here in Ireland, and hopefully in my future career whatever that may be.
I had a really amazing two months working as an animatrice (play-worker). I felt that I was with the perfect age group for developing my French, as there was no pressure from the children, staff or parents to understand everything, yet I found myself able to cope with situations I never could have imagined, such as opening the club alone and therefore being solely responsible for registering children and answering any questions. I found the entire staff extremely welcoming and supportive and therefore it was a really great environment to develop my French. Furthermore, by having meals included this meant not only that I didn’t spend time cooking but that I got to speak to waiters and kitchen staff as well as anyone eating at the same time. Overall it was a really great experience because the staff were understanding that my French wasn’t perfect, but they also challenged me to not let it get in the way.
This summer I had the pleasure of working for a youth hostel in Metz, a small city in north eastern France for two months. It was my first time spending any considerable amount of time abroad with the explicit purpose of learning a language, and I found that I could not have been in a better place to do so. The youth hostel was an incredibly welcoming environment, and the staff gave me an experience that was not only great for improving my French (I was the only English speaker there), but also gave me insight into a fascinating field of work that I had previously not expected. I was engaged and challenged in many ways, making it a summer I will never forget. My French improved massively in terms of vocabulary and grammar, but what I found most rewarding is the confidence boost. Boost Your French allows you to make the terrifying leap from studying a language to living it in a secure and fun environment, whilst giving you an authentic insight into French life. I’m now living and studying in Paris, and I feel like this placement gave me the best preparation for that. I would highly recommend Boost Your French.
I had an amazing summer working and living in Menton on the French Riviera! I was initially very nervous about the placement but soon realised I had no reason to be; both my colleagues and the clients were so welcoming and friendly. The work consisted of answering the phone, welcoming and checking-in/out clients and dealing with all kinds of requests. I worked for 35 hours a week, which left me enough time to go travelling around the region (and even to hop over to Italy). I also joined the town orchestra; playing in a concert by the sea remains my favourite summer memory. I have returned to university feeling much more confident in my ability to communicate in French (and also wanting to go back to France as soon as possible!). I will definitely be recommending Boost Your French to my friends. Thank you so much!