Studying Abroad is an exciting experience and full of adventures for high school students. During this program, living with a host family can make the experience more enjoyable and well rounded. The list of the positive aspects of living with a host family is way longer than your imagination.
Furthermore, living with a host family allows you to breath in the culture and being a participant in your new country during your study abroad program. Life suddenly gets interesting as you start sharing with new people who are warm and caring in a new country. Looking further on how to live with a host family during your term, semester or year abroad. Here are few good tips to smoothen the process:
Before you start your study abroad journey
Even before you board a flight to your host country there are few things that you can look to prepare in advance. A few basic things like learning about the cultural practices in your host country. If you are well read about your new community, it can indeed help you understand the nuisances of what not to do during your study abroad program. In a way, a little research in advance can help to avoid an uncomfortable situation with your host family.
You can also look to take it a notch further by learning about your host family preferences. Based on that it’s good if you can purchase a few gifts for the members of the host family in advance. Furthermore, if the language is new in your host country learn a few key phrases like “hello” and “thank you”, which can help you break the ice once you meet the host family and taking a course and study the language with Duolingo a free language online course before you arrive will help you. Arriving with more phrases in your vocabulary will portray your interest in learning about host family’s culture.
During your stay with the Local family
Soon after you have arrived at your host country, once you have met all the family members of the host family seek to understand the house rules of your host family and respect it. Have this conversation early, so that you can have an enjoyable experience throughout your stay. If you have gifts with you, give them to the family and thank them for opening their home to you and look for constant ways to share your home culture and get to know theirs.
Assign good priority to learning a second language in the classroom, however the language and cultural immersion can best take part with your host family. Engage in well rounded conversations over the dinner table on sports, life, culture and all that interests you about your new country. You can best learn a new language when your ears are attuned to a new dialect; so, try to spend more time with people who are native speakers.
Once you are a part of your new family, you should always look for means to adopt to their customs and seek to understand what and where the cultural differences are! Put in your best effort to experience your everyday life not from a front row seat but rather being a participant.
Food always acts as a lens into history and tradition. Try making a cuisine that you loved making back home and present it to your host family. You can always look to gain more of cultural immersion, if you not only look to learn about your host family’s culture but exchange yours too. Always look for opportunities to integrate with your host family.
After returning to your home country
Once you have returned home, look at staying in touch with your host family through emails or via social media. It is good if you can also call them once a while and update them on your daily life and thank them on having you. Try to update them about your future, where you seek to get an admission next and all sort of news that can excite them!
Take the Next Steps
So, hope you had a good read on how you should live with your host family during your study abroad program. Now it’s time to start your search on the best study abroad bespoke program tailored for you and to live the dream with Study Abroad Campus Education