 Poster: A snowHead
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My daughter skied for the first time in March 2010 at ESF's Piou Piou in Les Caroz , when she was 3 1/2. I want to take her skiing again this season (probably in March again) to keep her interested, and will base my resort choice on a good ski school for her. ESF was ok, and I don't expect her to become a pro at 4, but there were about 30 kids in each group, and the predominantly male instructors spoke very little English.
I would like to try a different ski school - perhaps one with English teachers, which would make the experience less daunting.
Does anybody have any recommendations?
Many thanks!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Furstauer in Saalbach have lots of ace female instructors who are very good with kids, most of them are Dutch or Danish, but they all speak (literally) perfect English. If you're set on an English one, what about Easiski, who posts on here?
Last edited by Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person on Wed 15-12-10 2:10; edited 1 time in total
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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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Thanks Clarky
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Fernie?
But maybe a bit far away...............
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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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Manxie, Avoriaz,, Meribel,, Cervinia,, Zermatt,,Engelberg,, Verbier,, St Anton,, Ishgl,,,, this is just some example,,, If U go to Austria or Suisse there are no problem to find groups with english speaking teacher,, but in france and Italy U must take a little care and ask before U make the reservation,,,,
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Manxie, the British Alpine ski School (BASS) have a number of centres - have a look at their website. I think their group sizes are max 6.
And I'm afraid it's not true that all the ski instructors in Austria speak english - or it wasn't when my daughter was little. She started in a "baby" group with a lovely lady who did speak English but she had to be promoted (being 4 years old, nearly 5 and FAR too grownup to spend another 2 days in the Mickey Mouse garden  ) to a group where the instructor, though also lovely, spoke no English whatsoever. She did cope though, and it didn't do her any harm. She's coming skiing this Christmas - she was pregnant last year so hasn't skied for 2 seasons which is the longest gap since she was 4!.
What you need to remember is that however much of a polyglot an instructor might be, if all the other kids in the group have French, or German, or whatever as their first language then the instructor is not going to be able to do much talking to the only Anglophone in the class, especially if it's a big group.
I would strongly recommend easkiski, should you want to go for private lessons in Les Deux Alpes but if you want to go for group lessons, BASS (though far more expensive than ESF) will probably give you daughter a great experience with - the chances are - all the kids in the group English speaking, which is much more fun for little ones. My daughter's first Austrian instructor spoke English fine - but all the other little ones were German speaking so it was a bit lonely for her - she still remembers those 2 days in the Mickey Mouse garden, though it was the Mickey Mouses she was so scathing about, not the instructor, who she liked very much.
We taught her to say "Ich heisse Alex. Ich kann nicht Deutsch. She got quite good at it!
Assurances from ski schools on the phone have to be taken with caution. I'm sure that ski school in our resort (Les Saisies) would assure you that instructors speak English, and so they do (some of them not very well.....) but what they WON'T tell you is that an Anglophone pupil is likely to be the only one in the group.
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our 8YO twins daughters have always had fun in our home resorts Les Arcs/Peisey Vallandry and have had no problems with people using English
if they are lucky to be treated to private lessons the instructors always speak excellent english during group lessons the instructor spoke french the the french first, then spoke to them second in english to convey the message.
They had no problem waiting for their english explanations
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cheztichot, yes, but there are loads of English speakers in Les Arcs - it's not always so easy. and not being able to speak to any of the other kids in the class is quite hard for a little one on their own. I think twins can be pretty self-sufficient - even if they sometimes fight.
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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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we like the ESI schools - small groups and good fun - can recommend the one in Grimentz (Switzerland). Also Altitude in Wengen/Grindelwald were very good - again small groups. They had our DD (almost 5 years old at that time) skiing down the blue all the way to to Brandegg from the top of Kleine Schiedegg by the end of the week, and she had an absolute ball .......... 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| Quote: |
we like the ESI schools - small groups and good fun
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we always use the ESI in Les Saisies, but fact remains that if all the others are French, the whole thing will be mostly French, with a few bits of English thrown in as necessary. Go to a mainstream Britpack resort, or book privates, or ask searching questions on the phone. Not just "can the instructor speak English?"
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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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| clarky999 wrote: |
| Furstauer in Saalbach have lots of ace female instructors who are very good with kids, most of them are Dutch or Danish, but they all speak (literally) perfect English. If you're set on an English one, what about Easiski, who posts on here? |
I would second this, did a trip to Saalbach and there were lots of toddlers in the group and they seemed to have a fine time and no language problems with the instructors
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I can vouch for the Danish.....my wife is 
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You know it makes sense.
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Think also about Mayrhofen in Austria, our daughter was about the same age when she started with SMT, she loved it, small groups of no more than 5 or 6, they start on two baby slopes and progress very quickly. The good thing is they are acutally on the mountain, not down in a village.
What I particuarly liked was the help they would give little ones, if they needed the toilet they were on hand to help, with someone always being inside the adjacent building, where they would also go to have lunch. If they got tired, there was an area they could go in and have a little play, with supervised childcare. The lessons were in English and once they got off the baby slopes (by day 3), they would ski, have a stop for sweets, snowballing and set off again.
Our daughter loved it. I also liked the fact that they had no problems with moving children up or down throughout the week, to keep the groups level. We would go and take our daughter out for lunch with us, as it is up the mountain - then she would go back in for the afternoon. They can however stay for lunch if you wish. The afternoon sessions were always less busy which is a huge advantage and why I think she progressed so quickly, as compared with some of the others, who only did mornings. However, we go end of March, so it isn't so cold, a whole day in - temps., may be a different thing!
They have a little snowtrain too, to take them to the other nursery slope and lunch. At the end of the week, they have the usual downhill 'race', with certificates and medals.
We will be going back again this year.
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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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pam w,
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I'm afraid it's not true that all the ski instructors in Austria speak english
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I have not say that all ski instructors in Austria speak english,, just that is easy to find a group with english speaking instructor,,,,,
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Poster: A snowHead
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| pam w wrote: |
| Manxie, the British Alpine ski School (BASS) have a number of centres - have a look at their website. I think their group sizes are max 6. |
BASS Morzine are excellent and have the benefit that, during the school holidays, that they have trainee instructors shadowing childrens groups. Which brings the adult:child ratio down to 3:1. The shadower can't teach, but they can ride shotgun; pick kids up; boost morale and keep their eyes open.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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We are going to La Tania on Saturday for Christmas. I have booked our daughter with an English Ski School, New Generation, They are based in the whole of Courcheval area. I have heard great things about them.
I will let you know what they are like when I get back, but initial contact has been excellent. They even rang me today, to confirm the details and check everything.
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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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Manxie, if you want english instructors rather than just english speaking from personal experience I would recommend Ultimate Snowsports in La Tania.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Hi, Manxie, one thing to note is that most ESF ski schools wont start proper lessons until they are 5 and until then you are limited to places with snow gardens or the like. However we also started in Les Carroz back in 2006 and the ESI school (independent french ski school organisation) would take them from 4 so our youngest went with them, they didnt speak much english but I dont think he minded anyway.
It maybe worth focussing your search onto resorts which have a large british influence, for instance we have been to La Tania several times and both the ESF and the independent ski schools all speak excellent english, that might not be the same in smaller resorts though. In La Tania I can recommend Magic in Motion, for this year they have a new 4-5 area at the top of the gondala with a magic carpet.
Cheers, Peter
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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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Just wanted to say thank you to you all for taking the time to reply. Hope you all have a fun and safe season on the slopes!
Neil
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Manxie, I'd back up what cheztichot said about Les Arcs - my daughter, now 9, has been with Spirit 1950 (based, as you may guess, in Arc1950) since she was three, two or three weeks a year, and they have either been English speaking classes only, or predominantly, or native English speaking instructors (OK, Scottish...and the odd Australian).
Ne'r a problem, and we're happy to recommend / pimp. If only I got a discount for doing so... 
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b]Manxie[/b], both Evo2 and Les Galopins which is a nursery/creche attached to the ESF in La Rosiere, have English speaking and English natives on their staff. I'm more than happy to recommend Les Galopins, we've had lots of guests who've used them without any issues, one of our friends in the village an English ex-pat and qualified teacher works for them. Evo2 are also good but in busy times they can get a bit swamped as they are contracted to Ski Espirit and La Rosiere is Ski Espirit's most popular resort.
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snowbizz run an excellent ski school in puy st vincent - it's a small resort but the set up for children is excellent. all the class will be english - they only offer their childcare to the people booking holidays with them i think - and obviously the instructors all speak english. It's not an expensive holiday, i would thoroughly recommend them for children (but it's a small resort so not great if you are a 'ski-all day ski everything' skier).
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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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In response to the guy that recommended fernie, i have to say that Canadian ski schools are absolutely fabulous for little ones, if you can manage to fork out the extra cash. Ours have been at the ski school at Whistler the past three years and the benefits of having english speaking instructors and ski school from 8.30 til 3.30 for all from 3 years old has been amazing.
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i have a query ksb76, how old were your lids when they went? i would love to take ours to canada but am worried about the flight/travelling time, and the time difference. Did you little ones cope well? how did you manage it?
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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kids not lids!! 
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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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Hey Manxie, I'll pass on some personal experience, I've been taught in the 3 Valleys for 18 years by the E.S.F. and I agree that there are differing levels of English spoken among the instructors. I've had brilliant instructors in Austria and Switzerland, St Anton and Zermatt respectively who spoke flawless English, both from the countries leading ski schools.
With regards to resorts I'd say Meribel is extremely child friendly with easy child slopes and great facilities, I first went there as a 2 year old and have been every year for nearly 19 years now and have felt catered for every year.
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