What It’s Like Living in a Homestay While Studying Abroad in High School
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Understanding the meaning of homestay is crucial for those seeking an immersive and authentic travel experience. While studying abroad, a "homestay" is where you live with a local family and experience day-to-day life, from preparing and eating local cuisine to tagging along on local outings and celebrating local holidays and traditions.
Living in a homestay can be one of the most valuable aspects of your high school study abroad experience. It immerses you in a new culture, broadens your perspective and improves your language skills. You will get to know your homestay family and form relationships that last long beyond the program.
You’ll Have a Family Away from Home
When planning a study abroad experience, you’ll find that there are a couple of different housing options, each with its own benefits and drawbacks. The type of housing you end up in will depend on the program you choose. There are also different types of homestays. Each will be unique.
Whether you are staying with a family with young children, older children or a single adult, homestays are carefully screened so that they are welcoming environments and prove to be a valuable experience that complements your learning.
You may not have lived with other people besides your family at home. Homestays offer an exciting opportunity to live with different people and will prepare you for moving away from home for college and beyond.
Some things to know about staying with a homestay family that will give you peace of mind include their high standard of safety, accommodations for dietary restrictions and the kinds of rules you may need to adapt to. Despite the variation in the types of homestays, there are some consistent things you can expect from every homestay experience.
You’ll Have a Private Guide to the Country
You will not run out of conversation topics with your host family, especially when it comes to learning about the city and country where you’re studying.
Your host family can answer all your logistical questions, like how to take the bus or train, what times meals are eaten, and where to find the best shops, restaurants, and more. As part of your Language & Culture program curriculum, you will also be assigned “homework” conversation topics to discuss over dinner with your host family, usually centered around local customs.
Don’t be shy about asking them simple questions about their culture. They are hosting you because they are excited about the exchange. In turn, they will have plenty of questions for you to answer about life in your city back in the U.S.
You’ll Try Delicious Meals You've Never Experienced Before!
Preparing and sharing meals is the best time to spend with your host family and to benefit from the immersive quality of living with locals. You will practice your language skills and learn about local food customs and traditions and the differences between their food and your home food.
Your dietary restrictions will be accommodated in a homestay but be prepared to be flexible and try new things! Adventure can come to you right inside the home.
You’ll Improve Your Language Skills
On Language & Culture programs, your host family will speak to you in the country's native language, immediately immersing you. At first, communicating only in your second language might feel scary or unnerving. But you will be surprised at how quickly you improve!
Living with a homestay provides a different language experience than in the classroom. Your language teachers at home might have American accents, while your homestay will not. You will also learn slang and more colloquial language, which you probably have yet to learn in the classroom!
Nothing expedites language learning faster than immersion. The rewards are well worth the challenge as one of the greatest outcomes of learning a language is communicating effectively with people you wouldn’t otherwise be able to communicate with. Embrace the opportunity!
You’ll Have a Supportive Environment Whom You Can Turn to For Help
You will miss your family and friends, especially at the beginning of your high school study abroad program before forming relationships with your classmates or homestay family. But resist the urge to message and video chat with people from home constantly—it may keep you from connecting with people in your new home. Your homestay family wants to help and support you in your journey, through any emotional lows and highs.
Remember: While you may struggle to convey your meaning in conversations with your host family, don’t be afraid to engage in some theatrics! Act things out! Get silly! When you need something or have questions, you will be so focused on communicating effectively that you won’t have the mental space to worry about whether your grammar is perfect. This mindset enables you to be fully present in your homestay, which will help ease feelings of homesickness and anxiety you may experience at the beginning of your trip.
You’ll Have to Follow House Rules and Stay Adaptable
The country you visit in your high school study abroad program may vastly differ from what you are used to at home. There will be different cultural norms and household rules to get used to. For example, air conditioning and electricity may be limited resources, so staying adaptable is important. This is not all bad! Reduced electricity time means more time to talk with your host family, play games with them, and have them show you around their neighborhood!
Living in a Homestay Is a Positive Experience
Living with a host family while studying abroad in high school provides comfort that will support you throughout your study abroad program. The experience will provide you with mentors, immerse you in a new language, and give you the opportunity to view life through a new perspective. Your host family will take you to fun places and introduce you to other locals, expanding your web of connections abroad.
Check out our high school summer abroad programs that feature homestays!