Your hosts
Frances
My name is Frances, I have been helping students to improve their English for over 10 years and I am an experienced teacher. Prior to that I was teaching English in college during the summer period and then decided to take my TEFL to develop my existing skill set. I absolutely love my job and meeting and helping people develop their skills and confidence in a new language. I utilise my own experience of having lived and studied abroad when I was a child and learning a foreign language to help my students do the same. I was brought up in Spain for 7 years and have a good grasp of my second language. Spain is a very important part of who I am. All my lessons have a mix of speaking, listening, writing and reading and keeping a personal diary. The diary always goes home with the student as I feel it is a great record of their stay. We generally add photos and any other mementos like tickets to remind them of what they have experienced and for parents to see what their child has learnt over their time in England. The emphasis is on learning and immersion. I also believe in creativity and doing things in order to learn activities and sightseeing and meeting people are a good way to do this but I tend to like to focus on learning first. I like to build a good understanding with my students, so that they feel relaxed and then are able to progress quickly and effectively. I personally love cooking, baking, history, culture and the cinema. We try to do things as a family as often as we can but are limited by time as both my sons are very busy.
We love socialising when we can but again it depends on the time for all of us but if students would like to do this we try to accommodate them. I very much feel this has to be the student’s experience and that choice is important. I teach mainly teenagers and young adults who enjoy the environment we offer and most like to focus on their learning with maybe just one or two activities to compliment their learning.
Max & Miles
Max is 21 and studying Autism at Kent University while Miles is 23 and is a postman locally. Both of my sons enjoy having students here and always are on hand to help them integrate into the family.
Your teacher
Frances is a qualified English Language teacher, as well as holding the highly recognised Cambridge language qualification and Tefl/TESOL language teaching qualifications plus a BA (Hons) degree in English and Social Science Majoring in English with a first. Currently in 2020 about to embark on a specialist English Teaching Course part time to remain current. She has worked in Education in various roles for over ten years and has been teaching English as a foreign language for 5 years specialising in and working with each and every student individually. With experience of the Cambridge Exams and a knowledge of business English she is highly experienced. Frances and her two grown up sons live – one studies at University and one works in the Post Office – in a 4 bedroom semi- detached house with their Labrador George and cats Cobweb and Jack known as Fat Jack.
Her cousin Danielle is sometimes living there as she works away and when in the South East stays with the family. Occasionally her eldest granddaughter Charlotte stays for a day or two. It is a busy and happy household. At some times in the year Frances will occasionally host and teach other students none of whom will come from the same country aiding the immersive content but allowing for possible friendships to develop. She has also taught siblings and cousins who wish to come over together but ensuring they do not speak anything but English whenever possible.
The home
4 bedroom semi-detached house in a lovely area with a large park nearby. Wifi throughout and modern with a large garden. We have a lovely upstairs bedroom for students with a television and views onto the garden.
Location
Ashford is a large expanding town with fast train links into London 37 minutes. There is a cinema complex in the town and one just outside coffee shops and a large outlet. We are only 30 minutes to the seaside at Hastings by train and the house itself is only two minutes to the town on foot allowing a measure of independence for any of our older students who like to explore the town.
Things to do
Besides Ashford we are very close to London and many older students visit but I am happy to accompany them for an extra charge. Canterbury which is a very historic town is some 30 minutes away and is well worth visiting for its cathedral and shops. We have some wonderful castles not too far away like Dover and Leeds Castle which is almost like a fairytale in its perfection. We also have Sissinghurst gardens which are beautiful in the summer and Chartwell but these are a little further afield.
Local amenities
Swimming, Sports Centre locally.
Other languages spoken
Spanish.
Other details
Wifi throughout, smokers not accepted, garden.