 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi, is Mayrhofen a popular half term destination for British familes, or one of those more German/etc dominated?
Looking at it for next year but have a slightly shy 11 year old who's enjoyment of ski school is directly linked to the number of other English children in her group. OK, there's no guarantee of getting into a mainly English group even in a resort popular with Brits but if I'm recommending somewhere known to lack Brits I'm just making a rod for my own back...or for her parent's backs at least 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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There are loads of Brits in Mayrhofen. We were there in term time, the week before Easter, and the ski school class was half English, half German. I'd imagine there are more Brits in holiday time.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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definitely lot of brits...many teachers also von GB or Netherlands who speak also Englisch (as almost all from AUT)
ok not like in FR but more than other parts of AUT
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Zillertal is also very popular with Dutch. UK half term next year overlaps Netherlands and depending which week you are there could also be a lot of Germans. I have limited experience with Dutch kids of 11 but all of the 14 year olds I have come across can speak reasonable English.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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To be sure of English-speaking company (and native-English teaching) maybe look at one of the British ski schools - plenty of advice here about them. Does it have to be Austria?
I have a lot of experience of kids in local French ski schools and whilst I know there are masses of excellent German and French-speaking ski instructors, if the majority of kids in the class are French, the chat will be mostly French and that's easier for some kids than others. Some don't take much notice, whatever language is being spoken and just ski around in their own little world.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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@pam w, i don't think there are any British ski schools specifically in Mayrhofen (or the Zillertal). It's a niche i've noticed and am thinking about in the future as we move to the area at the end of July. Something i'm thinking about a couple of years down the line.
There is 1 instructor in the Zillertal I know of that is english, SH's very own @SaraJ, albeit she's not based in Mayrhofen, but further down the valley. I'm sure there must be some British instructors in Mayrhofen though.
Certainly, i'm looking in to working weekends in a ski school during peak holidays if I can....
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| Quote: |
i don't think there are any British ski schools specifically in Mayrhofen (or the Zillertal)
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No, indeed, which is why I asked whether it had to be Austria. If the top priority is for English speaking ski classes there are probably better options in France, in resorts frequented by the half-term hordes. 
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@pam w, bodes well for my potential little plan. Incidentally I had been talking to Mrs Swskier about this last week, and had looked at Maison Sport to see how many instructors advertise on there. There's the sum total of 1 instructor on there.
I need to find out what the rules etc are about working privately in Austria, as well as tick off the last couple of L3 modules, and then it's something i'll be looking in to properly.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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[quote="pam w"]
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No, indeed, which is why I asked whether it had to be Austria. If the top priority is for English speaking ski classes there are probably better options in France, in resorts frequented by the half-term hordes. |
you'd think so, but I don't recall my kids ever being in an all English speaking group other than with Esprit Ski.
My kids prefer Austrian ski schools for what that's worth
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My kids also spoke higher of their Austrian ski lessons, over french one even with Esprit. They also liked the Italian ones. Their best French lesson was when they had an Italian instructor in France.
Edit: although that Italian instructor did teach me children some new words.... not entirely age appropriate but they had fun
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@Mjit, I haven't contributed yet to this because I don't actually know.
I know that Mayrhofen is popular with British tourists. Whenever I go there all I hear are British voices but I can't say for sure if your friend's daughter would end up in a class with mostly English children.
The instructors are likely to be Dutch or Austrian. I would expect that most instructors in Mayrhofen can speak reasonable English.
I'm based at the other end of the valley, in Hochfügen and Hochzillertal. We get very few British and lots of Dutch and German.
@swskier, Don't get your hopes up too high... You'll need a lot more than Level 3 to teach independently here. I'll dig out some links and send you a PM.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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@swskier, I get the impression that there are some powerful reasons why the British ski schools have not set up shop in Austria.
I have nothing at all against Austrian ski schools - have done two weeks, one with an entirely German speaking group. I could speak some German (O level) and people were friendly and tolerant of my very limited German. A lovely Dutch nun in the group translated essentials for me. Once with an instructor who spoke flawless English having taught in Loughborough for years. My daughter coped OK when she was 4 with an instructor who spoke no English, because she discovered she loved skiing! But she would probably have been happier in a group where she could chat a bit.
One consideration is whether the ski school is half day only (usual in France) or all day (quite often in Austria). There are arguments for both.
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You know it makes sense.
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i dont think you could find more Brits in Austria somewhere else except Mayrhofen, St.Anton and maybe Flachau?
however most of the instructors speak a little bit or more English. I dont think would be a problem.
And already said, it will be possible that the instructors are Dutch, who speak relativ good English
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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@Mjit, as others have said we there will be lots of british children.
They also do a race at the end of the week which my kids always loved. Only seem to get that in Austria and Italy
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Poster: A snowHead
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OK, sounds like I can tell her mum not to worry too much about it then 
Never mind the race at the end of the week, the fact they don't seem to compress the lesson length so they can squeeze 3 sessions/day in and meet at the top of the gondola not the bottom before queuing for the first 10min of the lesson are benefits of Austria over France in my book! (though the 3 lesson thing/booking the middle one did make mornings more pleasent - the 11 year old is NOT a morning person...).
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@Mjit, season just gone we were in Kirchberg, hoch zillertal, serfaus and ischgl with our kids. The exception of Ischgl most brits have never heard of those ski resorts. The 5 weeks in ski school there were lots of English speaking kids which my 2 made mates with, non were from England. There were German, Polish(my kids speak Polish though), Swiss even Monacan(Monaco) kids. The ski instructors all spoke very good English
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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@SaraJ,
Some very interesting info,you seem to be a mine of information on the Zillertal region.I have PM on a different matter entirely , I think my message system does no work very well.
Regards
Forst
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