Can You Go to Another Country to Live With a Family
What is information technology Like Living With a Host Family Abroad?
Whether you're studying or volunteering abroad abroad, you may have the option to live with a host family. At offset, information technology seems like the obvious selection: information technology's affordable, gives yous an instant back up organization in country, and can assistance you learn the local language and culture.
Before you determine if information technology'southward right for you, let Become Overseas help y'all understand what it's like living with a host family unit abroad.
Simply then, y'all recollect about it a little more than. You oasis't lived with your own family unit for years. Y'all like your independence and existence able to dance to Katy Perry songs similar a mad person whenever you desire. These are complete strangers. You lot're shy and awkward and the idea of having dinner every nighttime in a foreign linguistic communication gives you lot a mild anxiety set on.
Nosotros understand -- living with a host family is dissimilar. So earlier you make up one's mind if it's correct for you lot, allow Go Overseas aid you sympathise what it's similar living with a host family abroad. Who knows? Possibly you'll have a host sibling who's just as in to spontaneous Katy Perry dance parties as you are...
What You Should Expect Living with a Host Family
Every dwelling stay experience is just as unlike as the families who host. Regardless of if you lot're living with a family with iii young toddlers in Senegal, or a unmarried mom and her daughter in Spain, there are a few things you can expect from just almost every dwelling stay feel. While living with a host family, you should expect...
i. Your family unit may or may not have hosted other volunteers / students earlier
In that location's always a skillful chance that your host family unit has had experience hosting before. If this is your instance, your host family unit should be well aware of what you lot'll need help with, what you're capable of accomplishing on your ain, and sensitive of one another'due south cultural differences.
At the same fourth dimension, in that location'southward e'er a chance you're the first -- that'south OK too. Just try to be understanding and patient. Both y'all and your family are learning a lot from living with each other!
ii. Your family should accept been thoroughly evaluated and interviewed
Your program provider should take interviewed and evaluated your family thoroughly to make sure they meet their standards and can provide a safe and comfortable living environment for you. To make sure yous end upward in the right family unit for y'all, make sure you ask your provider the following questions:
- How long has the family unit been hosting volunteers/students?
- What meals are they promised to provide?
- Will I be sharing my room with another person?
- Am I expected to provide my ain food on the weekends?
- How sometime are the children, if whatever?
- How far abroad is the habitation from school/volunteer site/internet admission/restaurants?
- Volition the family accommodate to whatever dietary restrictions I take?
- What is transportation like around the community?
iii. To consume the same food that the residuum of the family is eating
If you have whatsoever special dietary restrictions, allow your program provider know well before they assign yous to a host family.
This mode, they tin ask your host family "are you OK hosting a vegetarian / a person with a nut allergy / etc.?" and make certain you're placed with someone willing and capable of accommodating y'all.
Even so, you may have to exist flexible and patient (not every culture "gets" vegetarianism -- for example, in Senegal "vegetarian" means yous still eat fish).
If you have no restrictions, expect to swallow what your host family is eating. It's just manifestly rude not to! (Hint: In cultures where they tend to feed guests a lot, there's usually a polite secret phrase to say "dandy nutrient, but I'm full". Learn It.)
4. To be respectful of their house rules
Does your family await up for you to go dwelling before locking upwardly? Do they experience uncomfortable with you bringing a friend home? Exercise they await you to do the dishes or continue the bath a certain way? Inquire nearly these rules and be respectful of them -- it's the to the lowest degree you can do to say thanks!
5. To acquire the language much faster
Your host family unit is a great resources for practicing the local linguistic communication and creating a total immersion environment. Families with small-scale children are peculiarly helpful, since they're already used to coaching their little 4-twelvemonth-olds through tough pronunciations and explaining simple concepts.
6. To experience uncomfortable in certain situations
Living with a host family unit means getting very familiar with each other and spending time in each other's personal space. Add different cultural norms and perspectives on what personal space is (in some places, it's not a concept at all), and you're sure to have an awkward moment or 2.
Despite all the awkward moments and cultural differences, expect to fall in dear with your host family unit.
Trivial host brother barges in your room while you're getting dressed? Your host mother hand washes your underwear? Your host sister bluntly asks yous about every-unmarried-particular about your love life? These things happen!
7. Your family volition include you on family unit events and holiday celebrations
Y'all're part of the family, after all! If yous're living with your host family during important holidays or celebrations, like weddings, birthdays, or funerals, await to become an invitation.
viii. To go a second family that will be hard to leave
Despite all the awkward moments and cultural differences, expect to fall in honey with your host family. Await that when it comes fourth dimension to go out, both of you will exist adamantly making promises to stay in touch and see each other soon. They're your second family now! How lucky are y'all?
What You lot Should Not Expect When Living with a Host Family
And of course, there are a few things that yous absolutely shouldn't await from your host family unit.
- To exist coddled
- To take the same corporeality of independence as you lot did at abode
- To take a alive-in maid
- For your family unit to use English language for your sake
- To treat your house like a hotel
- To accept your friends come and stay with you
Stories From Living With Host Families Away
Equally we mentioned before, no two experiences living with a host family unit are alike -- and what improve style to larn near personal experiences than hearing stories from a few individuals who have had this experience?
Natalie: studied abroad in Sevilla, Kingdom of spain
For Natalie, a college student who studied abroad in Sevilla, Spain for a semester, having a host family helped her "get to know the area better through a local perspective, feel comfortable in a foreign place, gain a better cultural understanding, and practice speaking the language on a regular footing."
Having a stand up-in family while far away from her ain was a huge perk for Natalie, particularly when she got ill and needed actress help.
The only drawback was a slight lack in independence, like having curfews and feeling obligated to eat massive amounts of food at meal times, simply she says the benefits far outweighed this ane factor.
The all-time thing about living with a host family according to Natalie is that her relationships "developed into those like to a real family."
She anxiously looks frontwards to the fourth dimension when she can return to Sevilla and visit them.
Alex: studied loftier school abroad in Russian federation
Alex, a high schoolhouse substitution educatee in Moscow, had a cursory but pleasant experience with his host family. He "by and large communicated through the host brother, as the parents did not speak any English," just they were still welcoming and generous.
The apartment had simply ii bedrooms, just they made sure Alex had his own room. Alex "had studied Russian for ii years, but was still not very good, which made information technology tough to communicate. If I had been in that location longer than a calendar month, or was taking courses while at that place, I might accept learned more."
Staying with a host family is not for everyone, but information technology'southward an affordable and unique accommodation anyone going overseas should think about information technology.
Another downside, which was by and large due to his historic period, was he felt "trapped in the house, obligated to do whatsoever the family was doing." Overall though, he's however happy he participated in the exchange program and had the chance to experience life first paw in Russian federation by living with his host family.
Mandi: language program in Costa Rica
I lived with a host mom and ii sisters in San Jose, Costa Rica while taking a month long language course at the University of Republic of costa rica. For me, I wanted to live with a host family as a way to get extra Spanish exercise outside of class.
Once there, however, I establish information technology tough to force myself to interact with my new family -- my Spanish skills were however pretty low, and I'grand a shy person.
Since my stay was only one calendar month long, I didn't have time to break out of my shell enough to feel fully comfortable and ameliorate my Castilian skills.
Still, I loved living with my host family. I got delicious, authentic breakfast and dinner every day. I had my own room in a quiet neighborhood, with another American girl in the house, and a few more downwardly the street.
Despite the linguistic communication barrier, my host mom went out of her way to brand certain I was comfy. My just regret was that I didn't get to stay longer and build my relationship with her!
Dennis: volunteered in India
Dennis, a German man who volunteered in India for a year, had an unusual, and less than ideal, host family unit experience. He was one of v volunteers all living with a family of four. The family unit had but expected 2 volunteers.
"I remember my stay in the host family was very chaotic," Dennis said. "Earlier arriving in India I idea I would be the only volunteer living in a family who are experienced and excited to meet me. I imagined living in a happy family who is patient, would help me to adjust to my new surroundings and would try to help me integrate. I thought subsequently maybe two months I would be considered a family unit fellow member."
Having a host family helped Natalie "get to know the area better through a local perspective, feel comfortable in a foreign place, and do speaking the language on a regular basis."
But, this wasn't the case. The family was overwhelmed and unhappy with the state of affairs. Finally, after an argument between another volunteer and the host father, all volunteers were asked to leave.
Still, Dennis does not wait back on the experience as negative. "If I think dorsum, there are many things I could have and should take done differently. But at the time, I was only xix and just tried my best to make it work," Dennis says.
If you end upwards having a less than perfect experience with your host family unit, hither are some tips for dealing with a bad host family.
- Be patient in the offset when you're getting to know your family and the culture.
- Fifty-fifty if you experience your family doesn't respect you lot, follow their rules and go along to treat them with kindness.
- Consider things y'all tin modify to make it a more than positive feel.
- Talk with your program directors well-nigh the problem in the beginning so they tin can piece of work with your family to make a change.
- If you do decide to leave, don't indicate fingers and accuse, just say "This isn't working out."
- If you're placed with a new family, don't talk bad about your quondam host family unit -- this merely breeds negative feelings.
Still Not Sure About Living With a Host Family unit?
To figure out if a home stay is right for you, take your time to weigh the pros and cons and brand an educated decision. Inquire yourself the right questions. Consider your goals, and determine whether living with a host family would help you meet them.
Questions to ask yourself before deciding to live with a host family:
- How of import is my privacy?
- Will I exist flexible plenty to adjust to some other family's rules and quirks?
- How much do I similar living in a family environs? Would I prefer living with someone my ain age?
- Practice I take the ability to be culturally sensitive at all times?
- Is it important to me to not only larn the customs of my host family, but be involved with them?
- How serious am I about learning the language?
- Am I OK with sharing a room with someone I don't know?
Challenge Yourself: Simply Do It!
Staying with a host family unit is non for everyone, only it's an affordable and unique accommodation anyone going overseas should think virtually it. Overall, living with a host family volition guarantee you a richer cultural experience, comfort, security, and maybe even a second family unit in your new host country.
Really, whatever your hesitations may be, we strongly encourage you to challenge yourself and endeavour information technology -- shy kid or non!
Source: https://www.gooverseas.com/blog/what-is-it-like-living-with-a-host-family-abroad
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