Many study abroad programs will have arrangements in place with local universities or colleges that offer dormitory-style rooms for students to stay in for the duration. This makes it cheaper, and everyone can be in one place.
However, there is a valuable learning opportunity that can be missed as a result. It’s with this in mind that more programs are offering “homestays” as an alternative.
The definition of a homestay is an agreement that has been created between an international school or its delegates and local families for students to be able to reside with.
This allows the students to stay with local families that have been vetted for security and are under contract with the international school. In this article, we’ll discuss the advantages of homestays for summer abroad programs.
1. Improve language skills
While English is the de facto universal language, this doesn’t mean that everyone speaks it. Families in larger cities and towns are more likely to speak conversational English, while in the more rural and remote towns, it might not be as commonly spoken.
This means that you need to practise the local language daily to improve and communicate effectively with the host family. Being able to do so will teach you more about the language itself, and you can pick up on local phrases or slang, which will help you in the towns and cities when you are exploring.
On the flip side to this, you can also help the host family to improve their English, if they want to, so it’s a mutually beneficial agreement.
2. An authentic experience
Hotels and hostels only show a snapshot of what life is like in another country. While you may get to speak a little of the local dialect, the staff typically speak English, which makes it easier for you to get by.
Food and entertainment may not always be provided, but you can be sure that there is a well-known fast-food restaurant nearby.
Residing with a local family means that you not only get to speak the language, but you can also engage in local customs and experience local foods in traditional settings.
Life looks different when you move away from the hustle and bustle of city life, and homestays can expand your experience in ways that hotels cannot.
3. A home away from home
If this is your first time travelling without your family, you can experience quite the culture shock. Being with friends and other people you know on the trip is a benefit, but a homestay can be even more advantageous in this situation.
Hotels and dorms can be sterile and functional. On the other hand, a homestay is warm and inviting. It provides a family welcome and atmosphere that can be almost crucial when experiencing homesickness or culture shock.
While they are not your actual family, the ambience that being in a family home creates can help lessen your fears and worries and make it easier to enjoy the time away.
Sometimes, being able to talk to someone who is not overseeing your education or is a classmate can make adjusting to life away from home a little easier.
4. Expert tour guides
When you are not in a classroom, or on a school-organized trip, the family you are staying with may offer to show you around the town and local areas.
As local residents, they will have insider knowledge that the educators on the trip might not. Therefore, you can have a better travel experience than if you were to simply visit the country on your own.
Many countries have so much history and fascinating facts that they simply cannot be recorded in every book. Indeed, some facts are only known by the locals, like urban legends or historical events that went unnoticed by the rest of the world.
Your homestay family will likely be well-versed in such histories. Thus, the trips that they can take you on will open your eyes to a world you wouldn’t otherwise learn about in a classroom.
5. Embrace difference
The world is made up of so many diverse cultures and people that an individual can often be overwhelmed.
Being different, though, is a great thing. If we were all the same, then the world would be a boring place. Embracing these differences in their own settings helps us to overcome fears, make new connections, and get a better understanding of how people live in various countries.
Summer abroad programs will provide this experience. This will help you later in your life, not just while you are away from home.
6. Safety and security
A homestay family can act just like your own family, meaning that should an unexpected emergency happen, you are not alone. They can act quickly to get you help or just provide the support you need when necessary.
Your family back home will also be able to contact you via the homestay family, thus mitigating their own fears and worries.
Many hotels, hostels, or other accommodations don’t have this support, especially for solo travellers, so it’s more assuring for all parties involved.
7. Create lifelong connections
The people you meet and stay with will remain a part of your life. The connections made during study abroad programs and homestays rarely end. Therefore, you might find your new lifelong best friends, or certainly people you can holiday with later in life.
Summer Abroad Programs: The World Is Open for You
Global Summers Academy makes studying abroad easily accessible to students who want to gain more out of their education. We have programs set in different countries, and they are designed for high school students who want to travel to various regions before making big life choices.
From Costa Rica to Rome, and Portugal to Spain, there is a learning experience just waiting for you to explore. Call us at 1-844-357-2621 or visit us online to find your next big adventure.
