Nj Homestay
Barb Magario
Homestay (also home stay and home-stay) is a form of hospitality and lodging whereby visitors share a residence with a local of the area (host) to which they are traveling. The length of stay can vary from one night to over a year and can be provided for free (gift economy), in exchange for monetary compensation, in exchange for a stay at the guest's property either simultaneously or at another time (home exchange), or in exchange for housekeeping or work on the host's property (barter economy). Homestays are examples of collaborative consumption and the sharing economy.[1] Homestays are used by travelers; students who study abroad or participate in student exchange programs; and au pairs, who provide child care assistance and light household duties. They can be arranged via certain social networking services, online marketplaces, or academic institutions.[2] Social networking services where hosts offer homestays for free are called hospitality exchange services.
Homestays offer several advantages, such as exposure to everyday life in another location, the opportunity to experience local culture and traditions, opportunities for cultural diplomacy, friendship, intercultural competence, and foreign language practice, local advice, and a lower carbon footprint compared to other types of lodging; however, they may have rules and restrictions, such as curfews, facility usage, and work requirements, and may not have the same level of comfort, amenities, and privacy as other types of lodging.[3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10]
Homestay Delaware is the only housing option that allows international students the opportunity to live in an American home while studying at the English Language Institute. Homestay services are through a local provider.
Our homestay hosts have been carefully selected based on their desire to learn about your culture as well as to help you learn about and be involved in the American way of life; many families have been a part of our program for years.
The University of Delaware English Language Institute Intensive English Program (IEP) and Teaching English as a Foreign Language Program (DEFT) are accredited by the Commission on English Language Program Accreditation (CEA). Learn more about ELI accreditation and standards
The Homestay Program offers learning opportunities for both international students and Japanese families who are seeking to broaden their understanding about different cultures. Living with a Japanese family will provide students with not only an environment to develop their language skills, but opportunities to understand the daily life, values, and customs of the Japanese people, which will inevitably enhance what they have acquired in the classroom. Through homestay experience, students are able to gain an insight into Japanese life by participating in daily routine life.
Success in the program often requires adjusting to household rules (e.g. curfews). Students may feel a certain amount of frustration at being treated as something other than an adult, or they may think that the family is meddling in their lives a little too much. However, students may start enjoying the experience as they understand the Japanese characteristic of "over-care."
By spending time with a host family, students will realize that this unique opportunity of staying with a family is a privilege, and a sense of having home in Japan certainly helps students to overcome some of the difficulties they face in a foreign environment.
Since homestay participation requires interaction with family members and observing daily schedules, students should not engage in any type of part-time work, as it often becomes a source of friction. We feel that strong commitment to the homestay program will result in a congenial homestay situation, and consequently, insure a deeper understanding of Japanese life.
The locations of host families vary from a short walk to train rides. Since not all the families are located close to the university, students must expect an average of one hour commuting. Commuting involves walking, bicycling, or using public transportation (i.e. buses and trains). Since the Japanese public transportation system is extensively developed and well run, commuting may not be as difficult as it seems. A student discount on a commuting pass is available.
Students are provided with their own furnished bedrooms. The average room size is six tatami mats. Furniture may include a desk, closet, bedding, etc. Household items such as a washing machine, dryer, and TV are shared with the family members.
Two meals (breakfast and dinner) on weekdays are provided by the host family. Three meals on weekends are included in the homestay arrangement, though students have to buy their own food, should they choose to go out. The sorts of meals served at home may differ from one family to another, but what is most important is to be flexible and try everything at least once. Generally, the host mothers are much more accommodating to students' preferences than normally expected. Students with severe dietary restrictions are strongly encouraged to stay in the dormitory where they can prepare their own meals.
In order to avoid the confusion caused by last-minute cancellations, the homestay placements are not finalized until immediately before the beginning of the semester. Therefore, homestay assignments are announced to students during the orientation program after arrival at Kansai Gaidai.
While efforts are made to match students with the most suitable families, it should be understood that there are many factors to be considered to determine the best match for both parties, and therefore not all requests and preferences can be accommodated.
Be yourself. It is important that you keep your own identity. It is necessary to make adjustments to your host family's life style. However, it is equally important that you are happy with who you are and what you do. Be honest about things you like or do not like so that both parties can make necessary adjustments.
Living in a homestay and in an apartment are very different but both are incredible accommodations. A homestay is definitely a greater cultural experience: living with a family has encouraged me to learn Italian familial norms, forces me to converse almost exclusively in Italian, and exposes me to different aspects of Italian culture almost every day. After only a month in my homestay, my language ability has improved much more rapidly than while I lived in an apartment. I enjoy a homemade Italian meal every night, watch the news in Italian, and hear about the daily lives of my host family. I feel much more connected to the reality of life in Milan while living with a host family.
My earlier worries about feeling stifled if I chose to live in a homestay were quickly put to rest. My host parents are very understanding if I choose to eat dinner out with friends instead of dining at home, as long as I let them know my plans. They encourage me to travel around and are always eager to hear stories of my trips once I return. Most of all, they are continually welcoming and hospitable, and make me feel very at home. For me, living in a homestay is the perfect balance of settling into Milan while still being able to explore the amazing countries and cities around me.
In my opinion, living in an apartment is ideal for students who really want to live with other students. Coming home to an apartment of friends at the end of the day meant that evenings were always fun, whether you were cooking together, studying together, or unwinding with a movie. However, it was easy to feel removed from the city itself. Although I enjoyed living in my apartment, this was the reason I ended up switching into a homestay.
I am in love with many different things: with music, with languages, with literature, with cuisine, with other cultures. I study opera and international studies at two leading institutions, and am constantly trying to find the best balance between these two fields, incorporating socializing and personal time. In my spare time I love to read. I believe very passionately that connecting with other people and cultures through commonalities like food and music makes me a more developed individual, and that I am a better person because of opportunities in which this can manifest -- like studying abroad!
Being in a host family can be hard, and scary at first. My first time abroad, the one thing I could not wait for was to receive my host family. I waited and waited for the notification to come and when it did I was more than excited. When I was 17, I got placed with my first home stay in Sevilla. My family had 2 kids, 2 dogs, and my host parents were named Rosana and Chelu. At first, I was so nervous. I was scared I would not be able to communicate and I did not want to overstep. What you have to learn is your homestays WANT you there and to be a part of the family. Within my first 2 months there, my homestay took me to Portugal and Scotland on vacation. They invited me to all sports games, took me to the gym, and honestly made me feel just as much their kid as their own. After that, host families became "easy" for me. I became comfortable entering different homes and becoming a part of a family. My second homestay in Salamanca was with a woman named Manuela, and my third homestay was with a woman named Aranzazu and a host sister, Holly from the states. In all of my home stays, I developed a strong relationship with each family and genuinely felt a part of a new community. Through all of my home stay experiences, I found meaning in each experience and found new ways to navigate home stay conflicts.
1: Communicate. You do not like a food tell them (or they will make it everyday), if you want to clean your own room tell them (a lot of times families will go in and clean your room), if you have any other issue or something that is bothering you, you need to communicate it. More often than not they are willing to hear what you have to say and it is not a problem! You want to take care of it before it becomes a problem that really bothers you!
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