More and more people are today learning new languages. However, sitting in a classroom or using language tapes is not necessarily the best way of accelerating your language learning. A new form of language learning is becoming popular today: ‘home stay and study’.
This type of study means you stay with a family and daily life is combined with language teaching. Note that this article is based on the author’s own home stay courses and her opinion of how they should be run. Not all courses are conducted in this way!
Practice your French: Living with a French family requires you to practice your French in all kinds of daily life situations. It is complete immersion into French language and culture. Students live in a French-speaking home quickly improve their conversational and comprehension skills.
Learn about French culture and traditions: Really experiencing the French way of life, meeting French people, learning about customs, humour, slang, food, movies arts and music
Sharing trips and outings with your host: visiting the city in a unique way, going to the movies, concerts, to friends’ places, shopping malls and museums.
It’s about individual attention: Your host and tutor will provide you with the personal attention you will need while living in France.
It’s about fewer obligations: There is no strict schedule, teaching hours can be flexible.
It’s cheaper: Tuition, accommodation, meals, internet, laundry are (generally) included in the home stay.
It’s about privacy, safety and space: A home stay provides you with a safe, private and comfortable place to live with a lot more space than dormitories, hotel rooms or apartments. You are in charge of your own room. You can safely leave all your belongings in your room. No one will enter the room except you.
It’s about freedom: You have your own key, there is no curfew, and you can come and go as you wish.
It’s about comfort and independence: You have your own private comfortable room: in our case with double bed, a desk, towels, comfortable duvet and pillows, a small fridge, free wireless Internet access, TV, stereo and DVD player.
It’s about friendly meals together: You will share breakfast and meals with your home stay family. You can also cook your own, using the kitchen facilities.
It’s about free use of the kitchen, dishwasher, washing machine and dryer. Some families might charge you for the electricity. Use of the family bathroom if you don’t have your own.
Most of all, it’s about making new friends in a foreign country!
