Study & Live in Your Teacher’s Home – What to Expect?
What to expect when studying and living with your teacher? Lots of pretty cool things, including the following five!
1. You live with a local family, like a local
Charlotte was able to live a real family life by even going to grandparents, she could meet teenagers her age, chat with everyone, make real friends.
– Mother of C.L., 12 (France)
Homestay is possibly the most authentic language learning experience you can have. You are staying with a local family, in their own home, and living at the same pace. It means having a front-row seat for observing the real everyday way of life. Everything from breakfast foods to goodnight greetings is an opportunity to learn more about the customs and habits of the country and the region.
Your family will also introduce you to other local people: their relatives, neighbours and friends. These interesting encounters make nice memories and can even lead to lasting friendships. Homestay is by far the best means of connecting with locals and understanding their lifestyle.
2. You are fully immersed in the language you are learning
I was able to have a very valuable and enjoyable time in only English for 4 weeks. Especially listening lessons were very difficult for me but they inspired me to practice more and more. Watching TV shows and movies after dinner was very interesting and an effective way to improve my listening ability. I felt I was lucky because I was able to find the best way to master English from my teacher’s lessons.
– J.S., 65 (Japan)
On a homestay, you are not only immersed in the local way of life but also in the local language, of course. It is everywhere: at home and outside, on radio, TV, magazines and newspapers, on signposts and instructions. You see and hear how the language is used in real situations and likely have a chance to hear different accents, too.
The immersive environment is also great in the sense that you have a ton of possibilities for practising speaking. The longer you spend in immersion, the quicker you start to find the words. Your pronunciation gets better as you hear the language all the time and your ear gets attuned to the native-like way of speaking. You also start picking up words and idioms local people use, and soon enough they will move from your passive vocabulary to the active vocabulary as you start using them.
3. Your individual language lessons help you make a lot of progress
My hours of English teaching are varied daily. I learn about grammar, extend my vocabulary, improve my conversational skills on various subjects, writing, reading and comprehension. — I strongly feel that the fear of speaking English has got far less because my tutor has helped me to build my confidence in speaking. I feel secure that she will correct me if necessary. She is a really good teacher.
– S.F., 62 (France)
Being the only student in the class has wonderful perks: you have the teacher’s undivided attention, you progress at a perfectly suitable speed and level and get to work on the areas you need the most help with. In one-to-one tuition, the teacher can take into account your personal learning preferences better than in a group lesson and tailor the contents and methods for the best results. Our teachers can help with general language, business language, special vocabulary (e.g. Law, Medical) and preparing for exams so whatever your goal is, we are able to help you.
As the only student, you get to interact with the tutor constantly and in a supporting and encouraging atmosphere. Learning one-to-one in your host family makes a very safe environment for students of all ages and levels, and even for the more reserved or shy students who might find classroom interaction somewhat daunting.
4. You discover a country and a culture
I’m back in France after a two weeks english training in the United Kingdom. I enjoyed my language stay. This immersion was a chance for me to improve my English and a chance to better learn about English culture and to discover different areas in Britain. First I spent a week in Ringwood at Sharon’s home and then I spent the second week in Horsley (Stroud) at Heather’s home. Both were very kind and their sense of hospitality touched me a lot. My teachers were so lovely.
– N.D., 52 (France)
Living with your teacher is a fantastic way of discovering a country and a culture. Including activities in your homestay booking is warmly recommended as it allows you to go on interesting outings with the host family during the free-time. They will have the best ideas for what to see so it is like having your own private local guide at hand. They will also be able to advise you on your independent excursions. Even cooking classes can sometimes be available in your host family!
Learning a language goes hand-in-hand with learning about a culture and a country, and that is why total immersion homestay abroad makes so much sense. As a homestay student, you can ask your family when you see or hear something that arouses your interest or evokes questions. Homestay hosts are generally very open-minded and caring people who are happy to share their insight with their guests.
5. You are going to want to do a homestay again! ?
I’m back in Germany now I want to thank HLI for a great time in the Scottish Borders. I learned a lot, met many kind people, I have seen lots of beautiful places and felt very safely. I will write you again, when I will book the next program!
– N.H., 29 (Germany)
Many of our students book again after their first stay and some even come back year after year. Some want to return to the same family, whereas others prefer to meet different families and discover new destinations each time and even learn different languages. We are happy all the same as this is the best possible compliment to us and proof that the full immersion homestay concept really works!