Fostering a sense of family has always been a priority for Hmong-American Ted Lee, particularly as a U.S. Navy service member. So when Lee’s final duty station landed him in Yokosuka, Japan, and he enrolled at Temple University‘s Japan campus to pursue an undergrad degree in psychological studies, he again sought a family environment.
“For my first semester, from September to December 2016, I decided to apply for the homestay program,” says Lee.
For prospective international students relocating to a new country, homestays — or living for a semester or more with a local family — may be a good option for those who worry they will miss home, need a support structure or want to learn more about the local culture.
Homestays Defined
While homestays vary, they generally offer students a private room, access to bathroom and laundry facilities and, for some, meals with the host family. Students can typically stay in a homestay for a few weeks to several months.
Nicole Despres, manager of the Office of Student Services at Temple’s Japan campus, says degree-seeking students entering TUJ directly are required to stay in the dorms or a homestay for their first semester, which the school arranges. The university says the homestay option is ideal for students who want a more immersive experience in Japan.
Jennifer Larsen, manager of residential life at the American University of Paris, says the school also arranges homestays for interested students. Vietnamese-American Henry Nam Hardwick, an undergrad studying global communications at AUP, is currently staying in a homestay for the spring semester. Hardwick calls his homestay an “overall positive experience” and says it is “nice to have somebody with experience around,” referring to his host.
Feeling of Home
Beyond providing a place for international students to live, a homestay environment can offer prospective international students support, cultural immersion and foreign language practice.
Taiwanese national Tzu-Hung Huang, an undergrad student at TUJ, says he lived with the Tanaka family for four months. He says they made him feel supported and he was able to share his thoughts, daily life , and ups and downs with them. He was also able to immerse himself in Japanese culture.
“Through homestay, I really got to see the Japanese family lifestyle — morning TV dramas during breakfast; host mom’s karaoke class at home every week; host dad’s weekend walk to neighborhood shrines, temples and parks; Japanese family cuisine; and the daily ‘I’m going out!’, ‘Welcome back!’, and ‘Good night,'” says Huang.
AUP’s Larsen says students living in a homestay in France will have “access to a real, live Parisian who can often answer any questions the students may have about life in the city.”
Canadian homestays can offer similar cultural exploration. Jennifer Wilson, managing director of Canada Homestay Network, a family-run nonprofit, says the organization’s homestay hosts provide immersion into the English language and Canadian culture, from grocery shopping to sporting events. She says hosts also are “interested in their students and want to learn about them.”
Arranging a Homestay
Prospective international students have a variety of options for coordinating homestay arrangements. Some schools, such as AUP, have their own homestay programs and may arrange them for free.
Other global universities charge placement and monthly fees. Full-time international students at the University of Alberta in Canada, for example, pay 200 Canadian dollars, or around $150, for the placement fee and 850 Canadian dollars, or around $640, a month for the accommodation and meals, according to the school’s website.
[Learn what to look for in international student services.]
Prospective international students can also look to outside companies like the Australian Homestay Network and its affiliate American Homestay Network to arrange accommodations.
David Bycroft, executive director of AHN, says a trained supervisor matches students to a suitable homestay host according to a student’s needs and university location. The company charges a matching fee of $300 that is refundable if it cannot find the student a place or the student’s visa is canceled or not approved.
Bycroft says the fee includes AHN “confirming home and host inspection, training and criminal background check of hosts.”
Wilson of Canada Homestay Network says the company screens and interviews hosts, including reference and criminal record checks, before matching a student with a family. She says the company charges about 250 Canadian dollars for placement and orientation (around $190); between 875 and 1,000 Canadian dollars (roughly $660-$755) for full board, which includes three meals; and fees ranging from 115 to 350 Canadian dollars (around $90-$265) for airport transfers, depending on the region.
Wilson says CHN partners with several universities in Canada, including the University of Toronto, Queen’s University and the University of Manitoba. The partner institutions direct students on the application procedures, she says.
Following a homestay experience, students generally find a dorm or apartment. Although, says Despres of TUJ, “In some cases, when both the student and family want to continue the homestay, the student can extend another semester.” Despres says one transfer student continued his homestay for his entire three years at TUJ.
[Learn five tips for finding off-campus housing overseas.]
Much like his military experience, TUJ student Lee found family in his homestay, which included family meals together, conversing in Japanese and attending family events. He says adjusting to a new family in a foreign country and environment can seem intimidating, but students must remain open and flexible.
“My main goal was immersion,” says Lee. “My homestay family was a great experience.”
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Explore Homestays as a Prospective International Student originally appeared on usnews.com
