AIDE Abroad Reviews and Teach Abroad Programs

I'm french so I will try my best to answer all your questions as detail as possible.

At first, I will introduce myself a little bit just to give you an idea of why I did try this programm. So as I said, I'm french but I live in Canada ( first language), so I decide to work on my english and to learn spanish (I got a little base). It's very important that you really want to learn other language (not only spanish) otherwise you will be with all the same persons and you will miss a lot of a cultural vision. So I was in Madrid for 3 months and in this time I travel trought France, Portugal, Barcelona,Valencia, Pamplona ( bulls running in the streets) and I was at the international language school for a month.

How did you get along with your host family? Well for me it was hard cause I'm a loving person and I talk a lot of my emotions. My family was very cold, but I did get a long with all the workers in the house. But don't worry about Aide, they will do the best match possible. I like to do horse back ridding a lot, and my family got horses and I did get the chance to practice a lot. So when you fill your application try to tell most of the things you like to do or feel. I had meet a girl who was in the same program and she felt in love with all her family, but that's different from each to other.

What was it like teaching them? I teach them at first english. They were 3 kids, so the 2 oldest did go to England for a year and I did only the conversation with them. At the middle of my trip, I teach them french but I was very basic, cause they weren't good. With the little one, was to talk to him, but at the same time correct his mistakes and give him vocabulary. There was a rule in the house that, no one can talk to me in spanish so that help a lot the family to practice. I would say that the worst were the parents (that's hard to understand the consigns?(rules))

what else did you do with your time while you were there? I gave class 6pm to 9pm, so I had all my days and I chilled in the city with my friends or I was at school during the morning. I would say that you have to take life easily when you are doing this kind of job and 10-15 hours is enough cause the kids want to do their things too.

Where you able to travel around Spain or did you stay in Madrid for the most part? During the day I went for little trip and during the weekend I did travel a lot (further). I did 3 trips of one weeks each but that's cause I talked with my family and they let me go, but again it depend of your family.

Did they allow you to come and go in the home as you liked and go out on some nights or were they particular about when they wanted you home? Well my house was very big. So I wasn't always with the family.I was able to go on and off in mostly all the rooms.They gave me a bedroom with a living room and a small office. I was very far from the other bedrooms so that's why I had my own door to go out during the night. They didn't really care about the time I go out, the only thing was that sleep at home. My family was very open that I go out at night and to meet new friends.

What would you say were your highs and lows throughout your whole stay there? I was a great full filling life time experience but at the same time it was the hardest thing I had ever done. As an advice, write a diary. It will help canalise your toughts and talk a lot with yours friends who's living the same experience as you, it will help a lot. I was mostly of the time alone ( be aware!), and I did think of all I did in my past years. Those kind of trip are there to help you find your place the world and that's the best thing that can arrive to you cause it will change you in a better way. I did have worst days that I was thinking to go home, but the next day I was willing to go live there. maybe cause I'm a girl;). Maybe it sound hard to read all of this, but don't worry and go all the way you won't regret it for all the gold in the world (french expression, I don't know if it does exist in english)

During my trip I had meet some turckish guys who were really awsome and funny.

Finally, again as advice never stop thinking and asking youself questions for what reason your are doing this trip and all those kinds of questions that will open yours eyes of the world around you.

Be proactive, make fiends, talk, write your life on a diary, don’t be shy, be silly and spontanous!!!! ( I did go to Portugal just to see Arcade Fire for 24 hours! Or run in the street with some fighting bull!)

Hope the best and feel free to ask me other questions if you need

Justine Beaulieu Gagné