Un Accueil Chaleureux (A Warm Welcome)

The girls enjoyed a "goûter" (snack) at the home of one of the host families 

Being asked to organize a project outside of your comfort zone can be challenging, to say the least, but ultimately rewarding. I was recently stretched in this way when I was asked to find French host families for a group of American high school students who were visiting Lyon. It took some time and networking, but in the end I was able to successfully pair the five students and their teacher with familles d'accueil for their week-long French immersion experience.

Visiting a French school

Shopping at the marché

The word "accueil" in French means "welcome." You'll see this difficult-to-pronounce word at information kiosks and reception desks at hotels, museums, and other such locations throughout France. The expression un accueil chaleureux is similar to "a warm welcome," and that's exactly what the American girls received when they met their French families for the first time. Their initial jitters swiftly disappeared when they were immediately included as temporary members of the family. The girls each had different opportunities to immerse themselves into family life: some shopped and cooked with their host moms; others went to school and hip-hop classes with their new French "sisters." At the end of the week, one girl told me that her preconceived stereotype of the French being "cold and distant" was transformed into the complete opposite impression as a result of staying with her French family.

One of the girls with her host "maman"

The experience was enriching on the French side, too. Upon debriefing with the host families, they all gushed about what a wonderful experience it was to spend time with a young person from a different culture. The French teenagers especially enjoyed meeting "real Americans" and found that they had many activities and interests in common. Thanks to modern technology, I expect that these new relationships will continue to thrive across the miles.


I believe that this sort of cross-cultural experience is so beneficial to anyone who has the opportunity to experience it. When you visit another country as a tourist, you typically only get a small glimpse of reality. It takes an immersion experience to get to know the true culture and perspective of the people that call the country "home." A good compromise for tourists is to try to find a way to spend at least part of their trip interacting with the natives. That might mean choosing a B&B or host family situation over a hotel, or going off the beaten path, eating and shopping with the locals rather than visiting museums and tourist attractions. In the end it will be worth the extra effort, and you may even make a new friend in the process. It also doesn't hurt to extend un accueil chaleureux to a tourist visiting your own country!

Kids are kids, no matter where they're from!