Children and teenagers live the language they are learning naturally and in a safe environment.
They stay in their teacher’s home, have one-to-one language lessons and continue to use and practise their language skills sharing the daily life of their teacher’s family during meals, conversations, visits and activities, as they all take place in the language they are learning.
Programmes available
All the programmes below include the following:
- Fully-inspected family homes
- Private comfortable bedroom
- 3 meals a day with your host family
- Local Organisers to help with your stay
- 24-hour helpline
- Qualified, experienced host teachers
- 10-25 hours per week of one-to-one language lessons + the chosen activities (ALL costs included)
- Certificate of Attendance & Course Report
Programmes
Language programme with activities
Our programme with activities offers you the unique opportunity to put your language skills to immediate use after your lessons with activity based learning. Activities may include visits to local places of interest, national parks, shopping, cooking traditional foods, afternoon tea, bowling, mini-golf, swimming, board games, etc. These will depend on the family location and local events as well as your personal interests.
This programme includes:
- Full board accommodation in your teacher’s home
- 10 to 25 hours private language lessons per week
- 5 to 20 hours activities including entrance fees (where applicable) and transport
Language programme with cultural excursions
We have combined your language course with trips to discover the sights and customs of the country you are visiting. The cultural programme usually includes 3 visits with your teacher or any adult member of the family. Where there is a choice of visits these will depend on family location and your personal preference. All excursions are in the target language so you’ll be learning as you explore!
This programme includes:
- Full board accommodation in your teacher’s home
- 10 to 25 hours private language lessons per week
- 3 cultural visits including transport & entrance fees (where applicable) for you and the accompanying person
Classic language programme
The Classic programme is for older independent students. You enjoy full board accommodation, private language lessons, and free time outside lessons & mealtimes to explore on your own or share the daily life of your host family. Your host family will show you around the neighbourhood, local shops and public transport after your arrival, and will take you on at least 1 outing per week.
This programme includes:
- Full board accommodation in your teacher’s home
- 10 to 30 hours private language lessons per week
Other programmes
Farmstay
Stay with your host family and experience traditional life on a working farm. A unique opportunity to improve your English and take part in the farm activities. The activities vary according to the farm and may include harvesting, fruit picking, collecting eggs, feeding the animals, milking the cows/goats, gardening, etc.
Farmstay 1: Includes full board accommodation, 10 hours of farm activities and 10 hours of private English lessons per week.
Farmstay 2: Includes full board accommodation and 10 hours of farm activities per week (no English lessons).
Our farmstays are available in Ireland and New Zealand.
2 students sharing a programme
Share your course with a friend who has the same language level as you, on the same dates and on the same programme and benefit from a 20% reduction each. You share lessons, activities (if applicable) and in most cases also share a room.
Activities without lessons
For students who do not want formal lessons but who wish to improve their fluency in a full immersion environment. Includes full board accommodation, 15 hours of accompanied activities per week (extra hours activities on request), activity expenses such as entrance fees & transport, no lessons. The activities are decided between you and your host family according to your interests and location, they may include visits to local places of interest, cultural events, cooking, shopping, mini-golf, national parks, art galleries, antiques, country pub (18+), afternoon tea etc.
Programme options
Personalise your course by adding an option to a language course. Combine a classic programme with sport or a language and activities programme with closer supervision, there are many possibilities, the choice is yours !
Sport
Practise a sport during your stay. The option includes: generally 3 sessions per week of around 1 hour each, rental of equipment (if applicable) and supervised trips. The sessions can be group or individual, their number depends on your level, the sport chosen and the location of your family. The sessions take place with a professional instructor or sometimes when appropriate by a family member.
Leisure
Spend the day in a famous theme park, discover an exceptional site, attend a sporting event, learn a traditional dance… The option includes: entrance fees for you and the accompanying person (if applicable) and supervised trips. The outing usually takes place in the company of your teacher or an adult family member, and in some cases with a professional instructor.
Exam preparation
Your teacher will design a course to prepare you for an exam (Cambridge English, TOEIC, TOEFL, IELTS…). Please note that we do not organise the exams. We recommend that you bring your own material, books, previous exam papers and any other material you need to prepare for the exam.
Cocooning
Cocooning is available for students under 18 and compulsory for students aged 12 or under. This guarantees that the teacher or an adult member of the family is at home at all times when the student is there. This option does not guarantee activities. Cocooning can only be booked with lessons and/or activities (not on the Accommodation only or Lessons only programmes).
Special diets
We welcome students who have special dietary needs provided we are notified in detail of these in advance. If these diets involve the host family making extra arrangements (such as a gluten-free diet) a supplement will be charged.
Special needs
We welcome students with physical disabilities (such as vision or hearing impairments), emotional or behavioural disorders (such as ADHD) or learning difficulties (such as dyslexia) provided we are notified of these in advance.
Christmas/New Year/Thanksgiving
Any bookings which include the 24th, 25th, and 26th of December (Christmas); the 31st of December and 1st of January (New Year); or the 25th of November in the USA (Thanksgiving) are subject to a supplement. If your stay includes both Christmas and New Year the supplement is charged twice. Book the Language programme with activities during the Christmas or New Year season and fully experience the traditional festivities together with your host family. Activities typically include traditional meals, decorating the Christmas tree, Christmas fairs & carols, town decorations/lights, shopping, fireworks… (programmes available in countries where Christmas and New Year are traditionally celebrated).
Private bathroom
Accommodation with your own private bathroom. 20% reduction per person on a shared programme. Please note this option is not available in all destinations.
VIP
This option is specially designed for people who enjoy a very comfortable standard of living at home and who require extra comfort when they come to stay with a host family. You can expect a superior standard of accommodation and meals. VIP stays always include a private bathroom and VIP students can be sure that their teacher has plenty of experience and knows how to satisfy their requirements.
Boarding
For university students or children/teens in boarding school who are looking for a place to stay during half term. Our host families welcome long-term guests on a full board basis, provide a private bedroom with a study and can prepare students for their exams (IGCSE/GCSE/A levels/BA/MA…etc). Pick up and drop off can be organised from school. Please contact us for a quote.
Extra nights
Extra nights without lessons can be arranged to allow for flight schedules. Please note that from 4 extra nights onwards a full week is charged.
Atypical
Are you looking for an atypical experience? We can offer unique accommodation around the world (Trullo house, Art-Nouveau villa, mountain chalet, Watermill, waterfront home, etc.) or outside the box activities (organic cooking, nordic skiing, boat trips, meditation, French gastronomy, etc.). Some of our host teachers live in extraordinary places and can offer students an unconventional immersion. Limited availability. Contact us for more information.
Transfers
We can arrange transfers from the nearest airport, station or seaport to your host family. Transfers are taken care of by the host family, the local organiser or a private driver (usually by car, occasionally by public transport). Students aged 15 and under MUST take 2-way transfers unless we are notified that they are accompanied by their parents. A mobile phone number is required for all students who book transfers.
