[Dear Host Family letter] Exemples

Alors la je le sens pas car je pense vraiment avoir un niveau cm2 ^^ donc si vous avez des critiques ou des grosses fautes a me dire faite le.

En attendant je vous souhaite une bonne lecture et surtout essayé d'être le plus franc possible.

Merci. A bientôt.

Dear host family,

For the beginning I’ll introduce myself.
My name is Yohan and I’m 20 years old. I live in France more precisely in Sury le comtal, a little town near Lyon (50 Miles). I’m student in English but I don’t want to be a teacher. I want to be a seller, by the way, after my experience in au pair. I’ll try to follow a professional training. I’m patient, open-minded and attentive. I practice badminton. I like basketball, to be with my friend and go to the cinema.

I live with my parents who are retired and a cleaning woman. They are respectively 59 and 52. I’ve got one sister her name is Laetitia and she’s 30. She’s educator for teenager who have disabilities. She’s married and got 2 children. The first one, Tom is 5 years old and Maylie is 2 years old. I’m really glad to be uncle because they are so cute.

I like to be with my family because we are a lot! I’ve near 20 cousins and 10 uncles/aunts. So when we did a meeting it’s really cool because we heard a lot of story.

Now, I’ll explain you my childcare experiences. I worked only during the holidays because I’m student. I worked since summer 2006. I began in a family with a girl who had 7 years old. Then I worked for MJC, I worked with 2 boys who had 7 and 11, I worked with another girl who had 11 years and finally I worked with boys who had 11. By the way, I take care after my nephew and niece.

I did a lot of activities with them like Tennis, Soccer, outdoors activities, swimming pool, indoors activities and a lot of video game because they love that. I try to do my best for them because I think they feel that, and they try to do their best too. Indeed, I really want they regard me as their brother, and this situation help the children to talk with me and to tell me what are their problems or something like that. So I think it’s really good for them to have someone to speak.

I want to become an au pair because I like children, I want to improve my English and I want to discover American country. It’s my American dream. Moreover, this experience is really good, indeed, we can learn more about us and to be self-supported.

Lastly, I want to thank you to have read my letter, and I’m in a hurry to meet you.

Yohan.

édit : Bonne lettre mais à développer! Anglais correct.

Points positifs
- Lettre qui aborde un peu tous les domaines (pas assez en profondeur).

Points à améliorer
- De façon générale, la lettre est courte, il faut développer :
* ses loisirs! Montrez qui vous êtes : plutôt du genre sportif? plutôt du genre casanier? etc etc.
* le paragraphe sur les ENFANTS : il est beaucoup trop court! Il se contente de redire ce qui est dans le dossier! Il faut détailler les activités, donner des anecdotes. Il dit ce qu'il fait, mais de façon générale, il ne rend donc pas vivantes les expériences qu'il cite.
* son caractère
* ses motivations.
- Cette phrase "I live with my parents who are retired and a cleaning woman" : est-ce que son père est retraité et sa mère femme de ménage? Ici, on comprend qu'il vit avec ses parents qui sont retraités et avec une femme de ménage! Est-ce bien cela?
- "I worked only during the holidays because I’m student" : inutile de le préciser. De plus, éviter de dire que l'on "travaille"! Il répète cela plusieurs fois, garder des enfants, ce doit être un plaisir!
- "Then I worked for MJC" : qui veut dire?

Voila je reposte ma lettre éditer en disant en gros ce que j'ai fait avec les enfants.

Dear host family,

For the beginning I will introduce myself.
My name is Yohan and I am 20 years old. I live in France more precisely in Sury le comtal, a little town near Lyon (50 Miles). I am student in English but I do not want to be a teacher. I want to be a seller after my experience in au pair. I will try to follow a professional training. I am patient, open-minded and attentive. I practice badminton. I like basketball, to be with my friend and go to the cinema.

I live with my parents. My father is retired and my mother is a cleaning woman. They are respectively 59 and 52. I have got one sister. Her name is Laetitia and she is 30. She is an educator for teenagers who have disabilities. She got married and she has 2 children. The first one, Tom is 5 years old and Maylie is 2 years old. I am really glad to be uncle because they are so cute.

I like to be with my family because we are a lot and we always have fun! I have about 20 cousins and 10 uncles/aunts. So, when we organize a family meeting, it is really cool because we hear a lot of stories.

Now, I will explain you my childcare experiences. I worked only during the holidays because I was student. I worked since summer 2006. I did approximately the same things with the children but I will enumerate you what I did mainly.

I began in a family with two girls who had 7 and 10. I did with them outdoors activities like roller, cycle, go to the square and a lot of indoors activities.

Then I worked for MJC. I took care after children between 10 years and 16 years. We did a lot of outdoors activities like soccer, petanque, tennis and indoors activities like baby foot, pancake party, ping pong.

I worked with 2 boys who had 7 and 11. We played soccer, tennis, ping-pong, we did indoors activities, board games.

I worked with another girl who had 11 years. We went to the swimming pool. We did outdoors activities like walk, cycle. We played board games.

Finally I worked with boys who had 11. We did outdoors activities, we went to the swimming pool, bowling and I played badminton with him.
I also and still take care after my nephew and niece.

I did a lot of activities with them like Tennis, Soccer, outdoors activities, swimming pool, indoors activities and a lot of video games because they love that. I try to do my best for them because I think they feel that, and they try to do their best too. Indeed, I really want they regard me as their brother, and this situation help the children to talk with me and to tell me what are their problems or something like that. So, I think it is really important for them to have someone to talk.

I want to become an au pair because I like children and it is an occasion to improve my English and to discover the USA. It is my best dream. Moreover, this experience can be really good. Indeed, we can learn more about us and to be self-supported.

Lastly, I want to thank you to have read my letter, and I am in a hurry to meet you.
Yohan.

édit : Bonne lettre, à développer. Anglais correct.
La lettre a été améliorée, mais elle nécessite encore d'être développée un peu plus.

Points positifs
- Lettre qui aborde un peu tous les domaines.

Points à améliorer
- Il faudrait développer ses loisirs. Montrez qui vous êtes : plutôt du genre sportif? plutôt du genre casanier? etc etc.
- "I worked only during the holidays because I’m student" : inutile de le préciser. De plus, éviter de dire que l'on "travaille"! Il répète cela plusieurs fois, garder des enfants, ce doit être un plaisir!
- "I did approximately the same things with the children but I will enumerate you what I did mainly." : inutile de le dire, tout le monde fait ça dans sa lettre!
- Ses expériences avec les enfants : les gardait-il toute la journée? le soir?...
- Aucune anecdote, aucune précision sur : faisait-il à manger pour les enfants? le bain? etc etc.
- "Then I worked for MJC" : qui veut dire?
- développer ses loisirs et parler de son caractère.

Bonjour à tous! Voici ma lettre, elle est un peu longue mais j'ai l'impression de ne pas pouvoir la réduire, c'est fou! Qu'en pensez-vous?

Dear host family,

My name is Solène, I am a 22 years old student. I would be glad to live in your family and have the opportunity to know you, your children and your culture. During my stay in your home, I would be happy to be involved in your family life and to become a real member of it.

I am very close to my own family : I have a 24 years old brother, Guillaume, and a 20 years old sister, Carine. My parents are divorced and I live near Vannes, in Brittany, with my mom Marie-Reine, but I see my dad, Bernard, very often. My mother is a driving instructor, and my father installs kitchens and bathrooms. Besides, I get along very well with their new partners. I already know I won't be homesick if I find other people to love, wherever I go. I will open my mind and my heart to you without problem, and I hope to be welcomed the same way. Thus this experience will be a success for both me and your family.

Let me introduce myself : I am going to have a law degree in July. I speak English pretty well, but not fluently yet. I have been learning the language for twelve years, but I really started to love it about four or five years ago.
I am an healthy non-smoking, non-drinking girl who appreciates calm activities such as watching movies, listening music (I like pop, rock and folk), reading, writing, cooking (and then eating my delicious dishes!), walking, chatting... But I am also a lively person who enjoys a lot of other things! I play parts in home-made movies with pals. I'm not really into sports, but sometimes I decide to jog or swim with my friends and I am fond of my bike, especially during summer, I also like bowling, playing pools or going out in bars, and even Laser Tag! However, I don't like night clubs at all, because of the too loud music.
My friends see me as a smart and fun girl who likes to learn and is very interested in culture, arts and civilizations. Mostly, I love people, I love to deal with different characters and opinions, which is the human race's greatest charm in my humble opinion. I have a lot of friends of all ages, all social backgrounds and all interests. I love animals too, especially felines. I am really a cat person (I have two adorable kittens, Elvis and Sunny), but I can handle other pets without any problem.
I rarely volunteer, because I don't have enough time to really commit, but I try to help charities as much as I can. I especially support the fight against hunger and the access to education. I give my blood three times a year. I think every gesture counts. In other fields, I helped to count votes during the elections and to organize sporting events in my brother's table tennis club. I am the president of my own association, a writing group in which I am the youngest.

I have always dreamed of traveling around the world, especially in the United States. I love big cities! I've been in London, Berlin, Munich, and Paris of course. When I travel (not very often, because of the cost), I try to make it worth it (museums, landscapes, restaurants...). To be an au pair seems to be the perfect opportunity to discover a new way of life. I babysit a lot and I love taking care of children, so it's perfect for me. I have babysat since age 17, and I have looked after 14 children from 3 month old to 11 years old. The little ones I spent most time with are : Mathis (4), Enguerrand (8), Owen (2), Swann (3), Amandine (6), Steve (11). I played with them, fed them, took them to and from school, bathed them, changed diapers, read stories, put them to bed, helped with homeworks... I really enjoyed it, even if sometimes it was a real challenge!
Besides, I don't have any idea of what my future could be yet, so I think it would be a good way to stand back for some time, while combining it with a more pleasant activity than having a day job in the town where I have been living my whole life. I found a home-health aide job last summer, and I have been working hard ever since whenever the person (a really adorable tetraplegic woman) needs me. I like it a lot more than my studies, because I feel useful and able to help her. But I know that I wouldn't do it my whole life, so it's time for me to try something else!
I don't know yet what I will do back in France, maybe find a school to later work in advertisement or tourism. Maybe I will find out during my au pair year in your family which, I hope, will make me a fulfilled young woman, ready to find a new way in life.

I hope you will like my file and contact me. I'm already very keen on the idea of being your au pair and I'm looking forward to hear about you.

Solène

édit : Bonne lettre mais à compléter! Anglais très correct.

Points positifs
- Elle parle de sa volonté de s'intégrer à une famille.
- Elle se décrit bien.

Points à améliorer
- Elle se décrit bien mais en oublie de décrire ses expériences avec les enfants! Il faudrait diminuer la partie sur elle-même pour développer ses expériences avec les enfants, le paragraphe est bien trop court! Elle ne fait que redire ce qui est déjà présent dans le dossier!

Coucou !! J'aimerais poster ma lettre à la suite des votre qui m'ont bien impressioné !! J'avoue ne pas avoir lue les 21 pages mais celles que j'ai lu m'ont semblé très bien !!
Donc voilà ... Je ne l'ai pas encore envoyé mais comme tout va très vite aller, j'aimerais l'avis d'experts Au fait ! ta lettre me semble bien !! Moi aussi elle est trèèèès longue, mais impossible de réduire ...

Dear host family,

My name is Emilie, and I am early 18 years old and I am looking forward to the best year of my life as an au pair with this au pair program ! I was born on Manosque, a city near the town I always lived in, Villeneuve. It’s a lovely and small town in the south of the France, situated at 1 hour to the sea and at one hour to the mountain. I am joyful, and my parents say that my first quality is to be very patient, especially with children, but first of all, I am a very motivated and determine person.

I live with my parents and my two sisters, Sandrine, who is 24 and Nathalie, who is 27. Sandrine is a computer graphics artist; she learned me a lot of things and gave me her passion for computer science. Nathalie is a teacher ! She always had a passion for children, a passion we are sharing together ! I love coming in her classroom and imagine the same place with a lot of excited children, and I usually “help” her with her English lessons as she does not talk this language very well… She is also my Godmother, and we are very close. We are used to making things with Sandrine’s boyfriend, we go out to cinema, to parks, we play society games together … My mother, Sylvette, is 58 years, she stopped working to raise me up when I was born. She used to looked after babies and children and I grew up seeing her and helping her when I was older ! As she looked after my two neighbours during 17 years, I learned a lot with her and shared a lot with those children ! My father Jean-Charles, was a plumber, but he had a work-accident 10 years ago, so he couldn’t work anymore… My family is very important to me, I always been living with them, and they gave me everything in order to me being the happiest. I really care about my relation ship with them, but I think it is time to me, to discover a new world, a new country, and to live this experience; but I am sure, that it will make us closer than ever, once I will be back !

In my spare time, I love to dance; I’ve been practicing this since I am 3 years old, and during 5 years I participated to aerobic competitions. It really is a passion, and I pretty sure I would love to share it with children ! I also love reading and writing, and I began reading English and American books as the Harry Potter series, or the Obama’s autobiography. That is because I am interested in politic, more precisely in American’s politic, I love sharing my opinions and I am very open minded about this subject. I also love cooking with my friends, my mother learned me a lot as we share this passion ! Since I am 6, I am used to spend 3 weeks a year in camp in summer on coast with my family ! I actually love swimming and to me, it is an occasion to practice my languages with my foreigner friends ! To end up, I have to dare telling you that I love American series and TV shows, I am a big fan of “Lost”, but it also bought me a lot of things as a better English as I am watching each episode in original voices, reading interviews, discussing with American fans … I also learned to become used to different accents ! I will try to share those passions with children, maybe make them discovering new things!

At school, I did the Literary baccalauréat (French High School diploma). My favourite subjects was English, Italian, Literature and philosophy. I would like to go to University to study in LEA (Foreigner Languages Applied) to become trilingual, I’d also like to learn Chinese, Japanese and signs language. Then, I would like to work as a journalist or maybe in events organisation. I am about to pass my drive license but I am not 18 yet so I have to wait until January. I also am about to have my BAFA diploma (diploma for youth leaders and workers) and I already have my PSC1 (Certificate of formation in the first aids).

I really love being with children, I used to want to become a teacher, just like my sister, but with the economical crisis it is very difficult and I also wanted to practice my languages. I looked after my little neighbour who is 5 the weekend and sometime the Wednesday afternoon, but he and her mother moved on a few months ago. He is named Andy and he is very active ! He loves play sport and he loved animals so I was used to take him biking in our quarter and I took him to the our neighbour’s property where there was horses and asses ! I also looked after my parent’s friend’s baby ! She was 6months the first time, now she is 2 years ! She is named Stessy and she is a very calm and lovely girl ! Recently, I met for the first time my cousin’s son, Tom, he is early 18 months and in despite of Stessy, he is very very asset ! He has a very good memory and love repeating words that he hears ! I suggested my cousin to tell him foreigner words ! It is known that young babies learn languages so easily ! Finally, I am about to look after 2 lovely twins of 6 years old, Maéna and Louana, they have been adopted 2 years ago and this will be the first time they will be “separate” of their parents. I will take care of them during all the summer, each day from 5pm to midnight as their parents will work in their restaurant ! I already met them and I can already say that they are Hyper activate girls !! They love going in their swimming pool, watching TV, making sport, run outside and her mother told me that they already love learning languages as English and Spanish so I plan to learn them some English words ! I am pretty sure that we will have a lot of fun together ! I would like to take them and visit things ! I would like to take them watching fireworks on July, 14th , the National Celebration (the bastide day).

Being au pair is my project and my dream since 3 years ! A friend of me told me about this and I looked forward on the internet, so I read a lot of au pair’s stories, I actually loved it and I began talking about it to my parents. They needed time to understand that it really was something serious and that It could bring me a lot ! I expect in this experience to learn a lot about children, to become more responsible than I already am, and to live the “American dream”. The United States are a country that impresses and fascinates me. I would love to discover a new way of life. During this year, I hope I will be able to travel around the country and to discover a lot of places ! I think that this experience will be an opportunity, as for me, as for your family ! An opportunity to me to bring you the French culture and to you me to fulfil my deeper dream.

I hope you like my file. I look forward to hearing from you and I really hope I will be your au pair !
Emilie.

édit : Bonne lettre. Anglais très correct.

Points positifs
- Bonne introduction.
- Lettre complète et bien détaillée à tous niveaux.
- Elle parle d'une expérience qu'elle va avoir en détaillant ce qu'elle va faire.

Points à améliorer
- La lettre est un tout petit peu longue, des petites choses peuvent être réduites : certains paragraphes peuvent être réduits en entrant un peu moins dans les détails tout en gardant le contenu, par exemple :
* "I also learned to become used to different accents ! I will try to share those passions with children, maybe make them discovering new things!" : cette phrase peut être supprimée. Apprendre différents accents n'est pas forcément le plus intéressant pour les familles (dans un premier temps en tout cas), et partager ces passions, oui, mais elle en a déjà aprlé pour la danse et concernant sa passion pour l'anglais et les séries américaines, je doute que les familles le souhaitent!! lol
* "My favourite subjects was English, Italian, Literature and philosophy" : le projet à venir intéresse davantage les familles.
* "but with the economical crisis it is very difficult" : ah bon? lol.. peut-être inutile de préciser cela
* petits détails à supprimer comme le fait que les chevaux sont ceux du voisin, qu'ils allaient faire du vélo dans le quartier (s'ils allaient ailleurs ça pourrait être intéressant mais pas là). Du coup dans cette phrase, on peut regrouper les deux choses : "I was used to take him biking and to go to see horses and asses". Si cela est fait pour d'autres paragraphes, on gagne de l'espace tout en disant la même chose!

Je trouve vos lettres superbes, je me lance en m'etant la mienne pareil si des choses vous chok ne pas hesiter a me le dire

Dear host family

My name is Charlotte I live in France in Tigery, a little town near Paris. I’ve my own studio apartment. My mother Sophie (45) is an administrative clerk and my father Alain (50) assistant director for a firm specialize in press. They are wonderful, generous and comprehensive parents. We are three children, I’m elder child after there is my brother Quentin (23) a very cool boy he has a daughter, Alessia, a very beautiful baby girl, she’s so sweetie. The last child is my little sister, Aline (20) a girl very determined. My relationship with them is very well. My parents divorced in 2006, nevertheless our family has known to stay unite, however my parents are staying friends. I love my family.
About me, I think, I’ m courageous, ambitious and a cool girl. I’ve a passion to different culture, my favourite are Japanese and American. My passion for the American culture is about American history, patriotism and civilization. My passion for the Japanese culture to go by Zen-attitude, I like their life-vision and their way of thinking.
I haven’t a particular hobbies but I like many things as go to cinema, read, to travel, to do some gardening and to be with my friends. I have been in Indonesia, Canada and in Reunion, these country are very rewarding and the people who living in this place are so welcoming.
I love animals, I’ve a cat, Max, a cat very funny because he’s talkative, and I’ve a fish, Tohru (Japanese name).

As you know, I’m elder child, when my parents went to work the Wednesday I took care of my little sister not my brother because he was so boisterous, so my mother took him in day nursery. When I arrived at junior high school, to give a bit of money, I decided to do babysitting for my neighbour. During almost one year, twice a week, I took care of two lovely children Alexandre (5) and Camille (3). I went to search them after school, I took them a snack then we played party games like “Monopoly” or we made manual activities as painting, modelling clay or salt dough modelling, next they took a shower, we had dinner and after I read a child story, the story finished they went to bed. Unfortunately the next year they left in other region in “Normandy”, so my other neighbour Stephanie, she had a baby, Mathieu, and with her husband once a month they would to go to cinema, then asked me to do babysitting. I supervised the baby during the evening and if need be change the diaper.
I stopped babysitting because I made my study in apprenticeship, one week at school and the other at work. My study lasted 5 years.
In 2007, when I finished my studies, I left Paris to live in Brittany to be with my grandparent for one year because they felt alone. So I took a temporary job and during my free-time I made babysitting.
I took care of Dann (6), the child of my friend Perrine. I stayed with him on Wednesday afternoon out of two, we ate together and the afternoon we made many activities or sometimes his parents was ok to play video game. I remember one day, we watched TV and the news-man spoke about the Venice’ carnival, he showed people with costume and mask, Dann told me:
“I would like the same mask, like this you and me, we will play at this carnival.”
Therefore we had searching plaster and compress in a drugstore and we pass the afternoon to make mask. To Halloween I prepare the Dann’costume, he dressed up in skeleton, he was very happy. I had other children whose I took care, Trystan (4) and Malorie(3), Trystan was a shy and reserve boy, but with the time I was coming his best friend, and he arrived to trust me, whereas Malorie was reckless and very funny, they was totally different but so much complementary, with them boredom do not exist.
At the same time, at my hall, they look for somebody to help the children at the primary school of the town to do their homework, I propose my favour to help the community. So one week out of two I made the homework at the school, I had 6 children during two hours, they had different levels and we made different works, as mathematics or French even to learn a poem by heart. When I told my going at the children, their parents made me a surprise, they organized a little party to thank me, and sure I weep with joy. Since March, I’ve a niece, when my sister in law needs help, I take care of this sweetie baby. I change her diaper, I dress her and I sing her a lullaby.

Actually, I’m beautician and self-woman in perfumery. My ambition is to be a formative for a big company of cosmetic. I hope, I will be able to travel around the world to exercise my job. I want to meet very different people of different culture to different country.

That why, I choose the programme au pair in America. It group three envies:
First, the children, I like to take care of them, see a smiley in your face or comfort them after a big sadness.
Second, USA it’s an American dream during one year, celebrate a real Halloween and participate in my first Thanksgiving.
To finish, remove my English and I will be bilingual.

I hope you like my letter and thanks to it you learn me better.
If you want more information, not hesitate to contact me, I’ll answer at your questions with a real pleasure.

Sincerely, Charlotte.

édit : Bonne lettre, agréable à lire. Anglais très correct.

Points positifs
- Elle décrit bien sa famille!
- De façon générale, lettre très complète et agréable à lire!

Points à améliorer
- "when my parents went to work the Wednesday I took care of my little sister not my brother because he was so boisterous, so my mother took him in day nursery." : ne pas détailler autant, la lettre est légèrement longue (pas trop), donc ce genre de petit détail peut sauter, se contenter de dire qu'il lui est arrivé de garder sa petite soeur (d'autant que la différence d'âge n'est pas énorme). D'autres petits détails peuvent disparaître comme la région où la famille est partie, le fait que les parents vont au cinéma, etc.
- Elle parle de ses études et d'un job, mais ne dit pas quelles sont ses études ni ce job : elle le dit plus tard, mais cela pourrait être regroupé, ce qui permettrait de ne pas se poser la question avant et de gagner de la place sur la page!
--> Cependant la lettre est à peine trop longue, supprimer une ou deux choses est suffisant! Et la lettre est très bien de façon générale!

Bonjour a tous!

J'ai besoin de vos avis, qu'en pensez vous, n'hesitez pas!!merci d'avance!

Dear host family,
My name is Rose, and I am 24 years old. I live in PARIS. I’ m a third-year university student. I have my Associate Degree and I will have my Bachelor Degree on September in Real Estate Property Management. I live without my family since I was eighteen but I had ever lived in apartment-sharing or in host family. My family lives at the Reunion Island, a French Island next Madagascar and the Mauritius Island. I’ve grown up with all my family around me at Reunion Island; we are really close in spite of the distance. My father is fifty and is a postman. My mother is a secretary in a medical office and she is forty five. I have a sister who is sixteen and will study the Hostel Business Management at the start of the next school year. And I have a brother who is twenty and studies the Industrial Engineering at Quebec for two years.
I enjoy travelling but I have only made the round trip between the Reunion Island and France. I have chosen the USA for my first travel in a foreign country because it’s a dream since I was young thanks to the American Cinema and the Blues and Country Music.
I chose the au pair’s program, firstly because I enjoy spending time with children, they are spontaneous, creative and sensitive; and learning English with us can be an interesting experience. I also hope to speak and teach them my language and my culture of France and the Reunion Island. Beyond the fact the au pair’s program is a cultural exchange with a family, I don’t forget it is also a job and we are paid to help the parents in their daily with children. Thanks to this money, the au pair can visit, live and prepare a travel after or during the year.
I have several experiences with children. Above all, in my family, the elder child has to take care of youngest children and he is in charge of the house. So I took care my brother, my sister and my cousins when I was a teenager.
When I was sixteen, I have worked as babysitter with a child who is five years: Guillaume. I took care of him during the Christmas, Easter and summer holidays, and so 4 months, from Monday at Friday.
His parents went to work at 8 am and went back at 6 pm. I prepared the breakfast and I waked up Guillaume. After the wash, we went at kindergarten or we did different activities like plasticine, panting, cooking or we listened to nursery rhymes or we read fairy tale (it was his favourite activity). At midday I prepared the lunch and he had a nap during one or two hours. In the afternoon we took our activities back and before the parents return, I gave him a bath.
Last year, I took care of two children who were nine and seventeen months old: Alexia and Melchior.
From 8 am at 7 pm, during one week, I prepared the breakfast, the snack, the lunch and we went at the kindergarten or the park to do outside activities. They had a nap at the afternoon and I gave them a bath before the parents return.
On top of my baby sitting experience, I was a volunteer in an association of my town which gave the children who don’t have money the opportunity to do activities during holidays or to have a school help. I was an accompanying adult during the outside (at the beach, at the zoo, at picnic, at sports meeting) and I helped them to do their home works .I was also volunteer for a children singing animation during three month thanks to the fact I was singer in a group and I made two cds at the Reunion Island.
About the child rearing, the most important for me is the safety. I think an au pair can teach and explain to the children how many it’s important in the everyday life. The values and the moral principles depend on the parents and I will never interfere in the rearing they have chosen. But I think it’s important to speak to the parents if the children show disrespect to the au pair.
About me, I’m cheerful and funny, I’m not really shy and I enjoy speaking with people, even if my English is very poor I do all that I can to make me understand . I am a serious and responsible person. Having the trust of people, in friendship, in work or other, is very important for me; it’s a way to be well-being with people and above all yourself.
Among others, I had my driver’s licence since 2006, and I had my own car during one year.
I do many activities. I enjoy doing sports. I run once or twice a week. I play squash and I swim occasionally.
I like to read, my favourite author is Douglas Kennedy, and I read all his books. I enjoy painting. I made many pictures. And finally, I love singing. I sing since I was young. I made two cds at the Reunion Island and I have been shown on TV in France in 2003. My favourite singer is Celine Dion.
So, I think I said the main things and I am very eager to meet you.
I hope to hear from you soon,
Rose

édit : Bonne lettre. Anglais très correct.

Points positifs
- Lettre complète avec pas mal de détails.

Points à améliorer
- "I had ever lived in apartment-sharing or in host family" : inutile de le préciser.
- "His parents went to work at 8 am and went back at 6 pm" : détail! "Je le gardais toute la journée" c'est suffisant. Il faudrait rédiger plus rapidement les activités et faire place à une petite anecdote par exemple.
- "even if my English is very poor" : ne pas dire cela, il faut se mettre en valeur, avec un anglais très pauvre, vous ne seriez pas acceptés dans le programme! De plus, son anglais ici n'est pas très pauvre, cela veut-il dire qu'elle s'est fait aider?

Je viens de relire la totalité des lettres de ce post (soit 80 lettres!!!!)... j'y ai laissé mes commentaires (m'inspirant également des commentaires faits par les autres membres quand il y'en avait). Ainsi, les personnes qui seront amenés à rédiger leur lettre par la suite peuvent avoir déjà pas mal d'idées en lisant ces commentaires!
La totalité (ou quasi totalité) des personnes ayant posté ici ont envoyé leur dossier et beaucoup ont déjà matché (voire déjà partis ou même déjà revenus!! lol)... donc ce n'est pas pour eux que je l'ai fait mais pour les prochains!!

J'ai supprimé tous les commentaires.. nous passons donc de 21 pages (22 mais un seul message sur la 22ème page! lol) à 6 pages!... sachant qu'une dizaine de pages avait déjà été supprimée une première fois!....

Rappel : ce post n'est là que pour poster les lettres! Pour les questions : cf. post FAQ!! merci

Je trouve que c'est une bonne lettre, ton anglais est correct (avec des erreurs mais qui ne gênent en rien la compréhension du message).
Ta lettre est complète : bonne description de la famille, de tes hobbies, projets, ton caractère, ton expérience des enfants...
Je t'ai envoyé un MP pour une ou deux phrases à reformuler et un ou deux détails comme le fait de dire que ta petite soeur était comme une poupée vivante, car même si on se doute que tu as conscience que c'est plus complexe que cela, j'aurais fait attention à ptêt rajouter un truc du style "mais avec laquelle il fallait faire plus attention et qui pleurait beaucoup!". Je dis un truc bête mais qui ajoute aussi une note humoristique un peu... pour rappeler que c'est pas une poupée au final.. lol.. et que tu en as bien conscience
Voilà, mais ta lettre est nickel

Hey !

Alors tu finallement tu as mis " put her in bed " ^_^
Ben voilà tu y es arrivée :D

Oui !! Encore merci pour ton aide !!

Je trouve ta lettre très bien ! Tu parles beaucoup des enfants, de ta famille. Peut être que tu devrais écrire quelques lignes à propos de ta décisions de devenir au pair et pourquoi les USA ?
Sinon, j'ai vu un petit truc qui m'a parru bizarre, je sais pas si ça se dit en anglais "They are really important to me because they are alive". Tu devrais peut être utiliser un autre mot comme actif ou excité ou quelque chose d'autre ? Après peut être que ça se dit aussi, mais je suis pas sûre ^_^ .

Tu pourrais peut être utiliser "spontannés" non ? ça traduirait ce que tu aime ?

Courage pour la suite ! Puis pour la lettre, tant qu'elle est personnelle et honnête, ya pas de raisons que ça n'aille pas !

Alors comme pour abigail, je t'ai envoyé un MP... je laisse quand même un message ici (pour mes édits ensuite lol)...
Mais sinon je dirais que ta lettre est une bonne lettre, ton anglais est correct.
Pour ma part, je te conseillerais d'aérer le passage où tu parles de toi, car tu parles de ton caractère, de tes hobbies et de tes projets, tout ça dans un seul et même paragraphe.
Voilà, sinon la lettre est complète comme l'a dit Emilie, tu parles d'un peu de tout en donnant des détails pertinents... et j'aime bien ta conclusion..

Merci de poser les QUESTIONS dans le post pour les questions (FAQ), merci
J'allais répondre mais si je le fais ici, on ne retrouve pas les infos ensuite car non ajoutées au FAQ lors des MAJ...

Et bien Aurelie je trouve ta lettre très bien, tu parles bien de tes experiences mais elle reste très claire. Donc pour ma part rien à redire. J'ai pas trop fait attention si il y'avait des fautes par contre.

Alors déjà, non ne t'en fais pas, elle est de bonne longueur
Je t'ai envoyé mes commentaires au fil de ma lecture par MP.. j'en refais ici un ptit détail (pour mes édits par la suite).
C'est une bonne lettre avec un anglais très correct.

Points positifs :
- Bonne introduction!
- Lettre complète : famille, caractère, hobbies, enfants, motivations..

Points à améliorer :
- plutôt que de donner le nom de l'entreprise où travaille la maman, expliquer davantage son rôle.
- La toute première référence donnée : plutôt que de détailler la fréquence (qui est déjà dans le dossier), privilégier la description des activités. Il s'agit d'une garde du soir, mais dîtes si vous deviez vous occuper de leur donner à manger? donner le bain? lire une histoire? Peut-être même une anecdote d'un enfant qui avait fait un cauchemar une fois? Rendez vos expériences vivantes à travers la lettre!
- On ne connaît pas ses projets pour la suite.

Merci les filles!

J'ai donc edité ma lettre avec les conseils d'aodrenn !
J'espere que c'est mieux! =)

J'ai la possibilité de refaire ma lettre vu que la mienne date d'un an. Je pense n'avoir rien oublié j'ai vraiment tout détaillé en tentant d'expliquer comment ça se passe en France afin qu'ils comprennent au maximum (le travail de mes parents est une vrai galère à expliquer en anglais!!) Je pense qu'il reste pas mal de fautes par contre ce n'est pas mon fort. J'ai redigée ma lettre seule avec un dictionnaire mais il doit y avoir 5 ou 6 mots seulement que je ne connaissais pas qui sont dedans

Dear Host family,

My name is Mailys and I am 19 years old. I live in a city in Upper Nomandy called Le Havre, near La Manche. I live in a house with my parents Denise and Rodolphe and my little brother Florian who is 15 years old. My parents are civil servants. My father is in charge of animations (concerts, games...) in three areas of the city and my mother is in charge of a day camp for children: in France, lot of children go to camp every Wednesday and all vacations ( four two-weeks vacations and one two-months vacation every year). My brother is in his first year in high school and play tennis. I like to spend time with them, for instance play parlour games with my mother, go in vacations with them (this year we went to Rome two weeks together), or just watch tv with my father, when we both comment what’s going on in the shows.
This year I am a university student. I learn english, literature, civilisation ... even if when I was in high school I learned more scientific subjects like chemistry, mathematics or biology. I really like to discover different things. For example I have learned during seven years german, two years japanese, one year spanish and it is actually the seventh year that I am learning english. Learning languages means to me learning cultures and I think it is very important because of the melting pots there are in lot of big cities all over the world.
That is also why I like so much to travel. There are so much things to discover, so many people to meet. I went four times to Germany with my elementary and junior high schools and one time to Japan with my high shool and I love it! Each time I was in a host family with who I spent great stays because of their welcoming and their way to make me discover thei culture. I like to travel with my friends as well; we went two times to London (and we will spend our new year evening there) and some cities of France: Rouen, Lyon, Marseille and Paris.
With traveling I like to go to the movies, to the beach, to parties (mostly with some friends, I don’t really go to parties where I don’t know anyone), to concerts or to Disneyland Paris. I like listening to music (I am very eclectic, I like The Corrs as musch than Bowling for soups, Green day or movies soundtracks), reading books or watching TV shows (I like for instance Grey’s anatomy, House, Gossip Girl...).

In addition to my studies I work to day camps every vacations and last year every Wednesday. This job can be called activity leader or camp counselor. However for me it is more than a job, it is like a passion. When I spend a month without taking care of children, I miss it. In my areas there are no baby-sitting jobs, it is more a retired area so my job is important to me because I like so much when a child is smiling to me or give me a hug without any reason. From the star of the new school year I also work every school day (Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday: children don’t have school Wednesday) in an elementary school during two hours. During the 2008 halloween vacations I also worked in a live-in-camp (it means the the children sleep there, it’s like a summer camp).
When I do baby-sitting, oftently we play sports like soccer, basket ball, we go to the playground, to the forest to bycycle or just walk, to the library to take new books to read or we stay at home to play parlour games, to draw, to paint (I really like to make them paint in a different way they are used to: for example plaint pebbles or fir cones), with their toys or sometimes (most rarelly) just play on the computer or watching tv.
When I am at the camp I often work with one or two person. We have 8 to 12 children per counselor, it depends of the age of the children who are from 3 to 12 years old. The groups are made according to their age. When I am with the smallest we do lot of draws, paints, little games (they often prefer change the game after have played fifteen minutes) to develop their motivity by running, catching things or just make them have fun. After the lunch it is the nap time. Then we go to the playground and then it is snack time (after it we just have to clean every thing and it is time for children to go back home). With the oldest we don’t do the nap but we can add big games like giant parlour games (we adapt the rules and we add chalenges to the game) or wports like baseball, soccer, basketball, tennis... We also play with jump ropes or hoops, we walk on stilts...
In live-in-camps it is the same things but there were six times of horse ridding or motorcycle and quad lessons (it was a five day, thematic camp: children choose what they want have as sport). We also have life things like washing time or breakfast and dinner and evening activities (party, parlour games...).
When I am at school this year, we begin with a snack and after a small break we do their homeworks. The children are from 6 to 9 years old, I help the oldest with their english, their french, their maths and their history and I help the other with their reading, and their writting. I like do it, I was a good student and I like explain things. I would be a teacher in elementary school in the futur so it is a very good way to discover that work. After homeworks children do what they wanna do between play outside or draw, clay or sometimes some activities more unusual like pottery.
To have all those jobs I majored: the BAFA is a french diplom that we have in three times. First it is a 8 days lessons, at the end if we get a good appreciation we have a 14 days traineeship in a camp, if the manager of the camp give us a good appreciation we have a 6 days lessons during which we have to analyze our traineeship and understand why we had problems or not... If we get a good appreciation then we get majored. I get it in June 2008.

All my passions made me realise that I want to become an aupair. In my mind it is the best way to combine my love for children and for travels. I hope that my year will be rich in communication with my family, to discover as much as possible their culture, to get along with children, having fun with them, to improme my english and to meet people comming from all over the world. Isn’t the United States the most important melting pot in the world? I hope to discover the country which have so much things interesant to do or see; from California to Grand Canyon, from Florida to New York, from Philadelphia to Chicago, from Washington DC to Seattle or Texas, Georgia... To have some typics americans days like the 4th July, halloween (which is not very celebrate in France) or thanksgiving. I hope also to bring you my french culture and share it with you.

I hope you like my letter and make you discover me and my life. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate, I would be very happy to answer you.
Best regards.

j'ai refais ma lettre pour rajouter quelques expériences et j'aimerais avoir vos avis s'il vous plaîttttt


Dear Host Family,
My name is Aurelie and I'm 23 years old. I live in a village located in central France called Mauriac. I grew in a lovely family with my parents, Serge and Isabelle, and my brother David who is 20 years old. My father is a bank employee and my mother takes care of an elderly lady. After I've obtained my Baccalaureat, I went to the University to do a degree in Spanish. I lived during the four years of my studies in another city in my own apartment. I studied Italian too but I don't speak this language fluently. I've studied English for 8 years and I'm conversant in this language.
I think that I'm a shy girl but nevertheless sociable who loves to discover new people and new things. I'm funny and I think that it's better to laugh of things. I'm responsible and meticulous and I 'm serious when it's necessary. I'm energetic and enthusiastic. I think that I'm a sensitive and tolerant person, I'm hard-working and flexible. When I think about what I want to do in the future, I hope I will find a job who will permit me to travel and use my experience with this program.
I'm an amateur photographer and I love to immortalize important moments of my life. I like to draw and to dance or sing but these are just hobbies to relax me. I like to listen music or see movies and soap operas when I've got the time. I like to go to the swimming-pool, to go for walks with my family or my friends. I'm very close with my friends and I like to talk about everything with them. There are people very tolerant and funny. I share with them lots of activities. When I talk to my friends and my family about my plan to become an Au pair in America they encouraged me to realize my project.
My first motivation to become an Au Pair in the USA is that I love children and take care of them. I think that I've got a good contact with children generally. I enjoy helping them to grow and to develop. I've got one younger brother but he is now an adult and I want to be able again to be considered like an older sister for children and have the possibility to pass on something to them, Moreover, this program could permit me to discover and integrate a new culture, another way of life and way of thinking. I'm curious about everything and I think that it's very important to know people with different horizons to evolve personally. Then, to become an Au Pair could help me to improve my English which is now necessary and essential when someone wants to travel and in lots of jobs. In the end, I want to share my culture and tradition with my host family and try to be considered like a member of the family.

With regard to my childcare experience, I helped my mother who was child caregiver when I was 11-16 years old. She took care of a boy from is 3 months to his age of 5 years old and a girl during is fourth year. Sometimes I kept an eye on them and I loved to play with them. Then, I often bottle-fed the little boy and helped him to eat. He had some problems to speak and a little backward for his age. We developed a very good rapport and reached to communicate in spite of this little handicap.
Regularly, I help one of my friend who has a little girl named Bryanna and who is 4 years old. With her, I make games, read stories or draw and we go together to the swimming-pool. I love this girl that I know since she was born and I spend a lot of time with her.
I also took care of a little boy during school vacation in 2007-2008, His name is Victor, and he was 4 years old. We particularly made together games like building set and other boys games like soccer or others ball games.
During one week in January, 2009 I've worked in a franco-american family in France like an au pair girl. I lived with the mother and took care of her two children : a little boy of 1 year old, Felix, and Leo, a little girl who is 4 years old. I spent time above all with Felix because Leo went to school four days a week. I bottle-fed him and helped him to eat, I changed his diapers and dressed him. Sometimes, I gave the bath to him and Leo. I also prepared the breakfast and the snacks for the two children . In addition, I played a lot with them , we took music together, I read stories, we drew and we had a lot of fun.
I lived a tremendous experience of au pair girl during two months (September / October, 2009). I was welcomed in the South of England by Justin and Lisa and I took charge of their little boy Orlando who had 23 months upon my arrival. I worked from Monday till Friday from 7:30 am till 4:30 pm, I thus had to give the breakfast to Orlando and dress him. Then we played and we went either to a playgroup, or to a playground or simply to walk. I give him then his lunch and put him for his nap. When he waked up, we made some activities by waiting for the return of his parents, I had no specific houseworks but I tried to help them at most. I liked these two months, I was able to discover many new things, to go to London and all of this with an adorable family.
Except for this experience,I've got my Certificate for activity leaders in day camps since 2005.
I worked during three summers (2004, 2005 and 2008) in a day camp and I took care of children who are between 4 and 12 years old. I made a deepening training course about young children (4-6 years old) to adapt games and activities for them. My Certificate and my experience in a day camp have allowed me to learn and share with children sociological and educational activities like songs and song games, the making of simple musical instruments like whistle or panpipes and the creation of kites for example. We also made simple cakes together, we paint or we drew. I read stories and tales to children and helped them to create their own stories. We also made creative activities like mime, music and movement and we created masks and puppets. We made a lot of board and outside games. I remember that I enjoyed to make a treasure hunt for them. I learned with this experience how it's possible to adapt the activity to the environment and to the child, to answer at best to his waiting. It permits me to have some elementary knowledge in child legislation, hygiene about meal, pace and sleep or health and security like, for example, the attitude to take for the first emergencies.
During summer, 2009, I was responsible for the animation child in a vacation village, I lived there and it allowed me to be constantly in touch with the children and their parents. I took care of the children (3 to 12 yeras old) every afternoon during three hours, I had to manage my schedule of activities and propose every week different and varied activities. It was a very enriching experience.
I hope I'm going to realize my dream to discover the United States and live the american life with your family.
I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Bon à mon tour de poster ma lettre, j'aimerai bien avoir vos avis s'il manque quelques chose ou pas. J'ai longtemps regardé les posts pour ne rien oublier mais bon je ne suis jamais sure de moi lol!
J'aimerai juste aussi savoir s'il y a des phrases incompréhensible, on ne sait jamais
Par exemple en ce qui concerne les heures américaines si c'est bien comme ca que l'on dit .. enfin voila! Merci :)

Hello Future Host Family !

My name is Melody, I am 21 years old. I live in Montigny, a town situated near to Paris. I have lived in Montigny since 15 years, with my parents and my two little brothers. My father works on RATP , public transport company. My mother works at home, she is caretaker. By her job, she has always been with us, has always been available as a stay-at-home mother. My little brothers, Romain and Quentin, are at high-school. My parents have taught us values that are important to me like tolerance, respect, sense of responsibility. They support me in my decision. They think that it is a good opportunity to do what I like (be with children) and a opportunity to discover another world, another culture, another people.

Mainly, I want to be an au pair because I love children. I have always been with them : my little brothers, my little cousins, et other children. I am godmother twice : Louis (5 years old today) and Daphney (2 years old today). By this present, I think that my family knows how much I love children. I like spending time with them, I have a special relation with them.

I have always been baby-sitter. Actually, I take care of two little boy : Theo is 3 years old and Titouan is 6 month. I started to baby-sit them, twice a week during approximately 3 hours, on September at the start of the new school year. I pick Theo up at school at 4.30 pm and we go to his house. During an hour and half, I give him his snack, we speak of his day at school. I take advantage of playing with him (he love playing with pirate game), putting and playing with fancy dress, or coloring, or teaching him nursery rhymes. When the weather is beautiful, we going to play at park. At 6pm, we pick Titouan up at nurse and at home. Few days before Christmas, after the nurse, Theo, Titouan and I have been see the Christmas house decorating. It is my favorite memory of him, he was so marveling at those view, this scene was magic. I bath Titouan and Theo, it is calm moment where I can speak and where I can play with them. After that, if the parents did not go back home, I cook and feed children.
I have baby-sited Tanguy (5/7 years old), and the twins _ Gabriel and Charlotte_ (8 month/ 3 years old) since 2 years. Their father have always traveled for his work, so, their mother asked me help. I baby-sited the twins when their mother wanted to spend time with Tanguy because it is a little boy who ask a lot of attention by his mother. With the twins, we used to play together, inside or outside. We used to do manual activities, for example, For the Mother’s Day, we have done a present : It was children handprint in salt dough modeling. We decorate it by painting, with sequin. This children love stories, every time I saw them, I used to read them a lot of stories. I love when children are happy, so I adapt myself to activities which they like doing.
I helped their mother too by feeding them, by bathing them and taking care of them. Now, I am their occasional baby-sitter because the twins go to school.

When I am not with children, I spend time at different activities.
Indeed, I like reading novels (cultural, historic or love novels). I take a lot of photo and I like creating scrapbooking album.
I have a passion for scrapbooking and cinema. I like going to the cinema, I like all of type of film. I am calm and gentle, so I prefer tranquil activities than sportive activities. I like being with my friends.
I practice a short while for sport but I like doing Yoga or aerobic. Sometimes, I run and I go to the swimming pool. I swim very well and I like this.
I started university 3 year ago. I am studying Management and accountancy. This year I will complete university. After being au pair, I would like to continue my studies (Marketing or Accountancy). This year will permit me to think about a specialization. Becoming au pair will permit me to improve my English and ameliorate my accent! Nowadays, It is an personal enrichment and it is important on business to known communicate with outsider.

I want to be an au pair because I would like discovering your culture. It is a dream for me to become a part of your family. I am easy going, affectionate and funny. I am looking for a family who want me like a friend and not only as employee. I am curious, understanding and talkative. I am a little bit shy, but I really want do your acquaintance and to become integrated into your family. I want to learn something about the American Culture and spend time with you and your children. I would like teaching you some French words, French customs at the same time.
I like travelling but I have never gone to the united states. It is my dream to visit this continent, to meet people and see different things. For my childhood, I have gone my holidays in summer camp. It lasts approximately 1 month. By this summer camp, I have learnt solidarity, autonomous, responsible and the importance to share with this other, to not be selfish. I like very much meting people. During this camp, I visited all France and the Europe (Croatia, Greece, Ireland, England, Crete).

I thank you sincerely for reading my letter and I hope to hear from you soon,

Best regards,

Mélody Dupont.