What is Felicity, co-founder of my English Family, working on right now?

What are your work priorities at the moment?

I am preparing for what looks like our busiest Summer yet! I am busy finding and training new host families, matching students to families, and checking that the host families' paperwork is all in order.  Many of the students don't speak much when they arrive in their host family - either because they are feeling shy, or worried about making mistakes, or because they simply don't have the vocabulary.  We train our host families how to welcome their first student, make them feel at home and help them with their English. Once the student relaxes, they become much more receptive to learning.

What do you enjoy most about your work?

I think in another life I should have been a matchmaker! I love the satisfaction of finding the right family for the right student. We are getting more students with special needs - ranging from dyslexia to the autistic spectrum - and I enjoy finding host families who have the necessarily training or experience to really help them. Many more adult students are coming to us now, and I also enjoy trying to understand their needs so that I can find the best family to help them progress.

What do you do when you are not working?