An Au-Pair is a person (mostly female) who has decided to live with a host family abroad for a certain period of time. The goal of this program is to encourage the intercultural exchange between the Au-Pair and the host family. As an Au-Pair you can learn more about the language and the culture of the host country – in this case Chile – and your host family can learn about your own home country. The meaning of the word “au-pair” is to give something in return. Therefore the act of “giving and taking”will certainly be visible during your whole stay abroad, since as an Au-Pair you will take care of the children and help with the family’s household chores. In return you will be granted full board (all meals), accommodation, and an allowance, as well as the opportunity to live abroad and to benefit from another culture and language in a foreign country.
Since an Au-Pair program takes place in an international context, foreign languages play a crucial role. Families who live abroad are looking for an Au-Pair from their homeland, in order to expose their children to their mother tongue. Other families are looking for a foreign speaking Au-Pair because they want to raise their children multilingual. Many children go to bilingual schools (English, German, French) and the Au-Pair is responsible for supporting them with homework and other activities. Whichever applies to you, an Au-Pair program in Chile will allow you to dive into the national culture, to improve your Spanish skills, and to learn more about the Chilean society. We advise Spanish beginners to take part in a language course in Chile in order to facilitate the start of your adventure. In some cases, you will have the opportunity to attend a Spanish course (depends on your working hours) while working as an Au-Pair.