HOST FAMILY
Living with a host family means staying with local residents — often older people who are happy to welcome a student from abroad. You get your own room, access to the kitchen and living room, and usually breakfast and dinner. It is the gentlest way to immerse yourself in a new culture and pick up the language without endless cramming.
Who lives with host families?
Mostly schoolchildren aged 10 to 17 on language holidays or exchange programmes, as well as adult students on short courses (2–8 weeks). Statistically, on programmes such as a «language camp» or a «semester at a school abroad», up to 40% of children choose to live with a family. Adults are fewer — around 20% — because many find it awkward to adapt to someone else’s routine. The most popular countries for family stays are the United Kingdom, Ireland, Malta, Germany, the USA and Canada.
What is daily life like?
You have your own room — usually single, sometimes (if you travel as a pair) a double. The bathroom is shared with the family — a separate one for the guest is rare. You may use the kitchen, but usually with conditions (not at any time, not everything is fair game). Laundry — either it is done for you once a week, or you do it yourself on a schedule. Meals are most often half-board (breakfast and dinner) or full board (three times a day). Adults sometimes take breakfast only. The family decides when breakfast, lunch and dinner are served — you have to adapt. If you come home late, dinner is reheated or left in the fridge. The main difference from other options is the rules. The family may ask you not to play loud music after 22:00, not to bring guests over without asking, not to occupy the bathroom for more than 15 minutes, and to turn off the lights when leaving the house. For some these are trifles, for others — unbearable control. But you speak the local language at breakfast, at dinner and simply in the hallway — and that brings more progress than any lesson.
The pros. Full immersion in the language and culture — you learn how ordinary people live, what they eat, what their habits are. It is safe — especially for children and teenagers, who are looked after by the family. No need to cook for yourself — a big saving of time and energy (and money, compared with eating out). Gentle adaptation — you are not alone in a foreign country; there is someone to tell you where to buy a travel pass or how to call a doctor. And it is often the cheapest accommodation option (after a dormitory with shared facilities).
The cons. Little freedom — you can’t come home at three in the morning, you can’t bring friends over, and sometimes you even have to shower on a schedule. Dependence on the family — if they are in a bad mood or quarrelling, you feel uncomfortable too. It is a lottery: you may end up with a wonderful family, or an indifferent or odd one. The food — you don’t choose what to eat. If you dislike fish but it is served three times a week, you will have to put up with it. And one more thing: language practice is not guaranteed — some families barely talk to their guest, switch on the TV and retreat to their rooms.
What is interesting in different countries.
- United Kingdom. Families undergo strict vetting — a police certificate, an interview, sometimes a home visit. The British are known for their rules: quiet time after 22:00, lunch exactly at one o’clock, tea at five. But they are polite and unobtrusive. Many live in Victorian houses with small rooms and high ceilings. If you are in London, the room may be tiny and the family not well-off. In the provinces — more spacious and warmer.
- Germany. Germans are punctual and love order. You will be taught to sort your rubbish, not to make noise after 22:00, and to take off your shoes in the hallway. But they will also give you freedom — they won’t breathe down your neck. The family often has children roughly your age — you will fit into the group quickly. Many families live in flats rather than houses. A popular format is the Gastfamilie for school exchanges, curated by special organisations.
- Spain and Italy. Here families are very hospitable, but noisy. They dine late — at 21–22 hours — and may invite you to Sunday lunch with grandmothers and uncles. They don’t expect perfect punctuality from you, but they do expect you to take part in family celebrations. The houses are often cold in winter (no central heating), but in summer balconies and courtyards are at your disposal. If you speak Italian or Spanish poorly, the family will talk to you anyway — energetically and with plenty of gestures.
- France. French families are more formal. It is important to say hello when you come in, to say «merci» after every meal, and not to be late for dinner. The room may be very small (the French don’t build huge houses). But you will be taught how to eat cheese and drink wine properly (if you are of age). Families often live in apartment blocks in the cities. Language practice is guaranteed, because the French won’t switch to English — even if you barely understand.
- USA and Canada. American families usually live in the suburbs, in detached houses. You will have your own room, often with its own bathroom. A car is almost essential — the family will drive you to school or the bus stop. Americans are more open and talkative than Europeans. But there are downsides too: the diet may consist of ready meals and fast food, and the rules — being home by a certain hour — apply even to 18-year-olds.
Who is it right for?
Children aged 10 to 17 going on language courses or to a school on exchange — this is almost the ideal option: supervision, language and gentle adaptation all in one. Adults who want to actually start speaking the language in a short time (2–4 weeks) and aren’t afraid of restrictions. It is not right for those who value freedom and aren’t ready to adapt to someone else’s routine. It is also not great for people with severe food allergies or strict diets — the family may not be able to cope.
A non-obvious fact. Many people fear that staying with a strange family will be uncomfortable, but research shows that students living with host families progress in the language 2–3 times faster than those who live in a dormitory. Even if the family isn’t very talkative, the mere fact — breakfast, dinner, the TV in the local language — provides constant background exposure that the brain absorbs automatically. And it also happens that families become friends for life — coming to weddings, becoming godparents to children. That is a whole different level from simply renting a room.