Host Family Programs in the United States [Verano 2020]| CLS Languages

TYPES OF FAMILY FAMILY IN USA

They are families that they do not receive any financial compensation for hosting an international student in your home. Their specific motivations may vary depending on their family structure but in general they are families who want to have an experience of cultural exchange, share and learn from a student of another nationality.

In this case the host family receives a stipend for hosting the student at home. They are families that may have an economic motivation beyond their willingness to share their way of life and customs with a foreign student.

MAIN DIFFERENCES:

In general, volunteer host families offer a greater linguistic and cultural immersion experience than paying families due to their intense involvement in the student’s daily life, interaction with all family members and, ultimately, their eagerness for ensuring that the foreign student is truly treated as one of the family. Paid families, howeverThey offer greater independence and autonomy because they do not seek such intense interaction with the student they host.

In relation to the advance with which the student will know the information of his family, the volunteers usually take a little longer, being able to receive until the day before the group leaves.

TIPS FOR A GOOD EXPERIENCE IN FOSTER FAMILIES IN THE USA

We consider that language immersion programs in host families are the most effective linguistically and culturally But they also imply a greater demand for both parents and students due to the need to adapt to routines and customs different from ours. Based on these premises, we share with you a series of recommendations that we believe will be very useful to have a fantastic language immersion experience:

1. Do not prejudge your host family for their socio-economic profile or family structure

When we consider a language immersion experience in a host family, a typical family profile always comes to mind that we would consider ideal. This is usually represented by a family consisting of a father and a mother with a child of the same age as the student, similar hobbies and a high socio-economic level clearly manifested in the characteristics of their home and the area where they reside.

Well, nothing could be further from the truth! We have 100% verified that the profile of the host family never influences a greater or lesser degree of student satisfaction. There are families that a priori may not seem especially interesting that later have been valued by our students with very high grades. Families that do not have children, or that have children but of different ages than the exchange student; families whose father and mother are older; or especially young …

In short, there are many different types of family and we always insist that it is essential to give them the opportunity to spend a few days with them to make a fair assessment of their affinity with the student and how their relationship with them will be during the coexistence.

2. Upon arrival to the family, give yourself some time to adapt

The day you will finally have the chance to meet your host family in person is a day of many nerves and questions. It is important to face this situation with prudence and patience since there will be a series of factors that can influence your first sensations.

Regardless of the destination of the trip, you will arrive dragging several hours of travel, very tired and out of place. The first sensations are always usually very accentuated either for better or for worse, so we recommend that you try to rest as much as possible that first night with your family and the next morning to face the day rested and with renewed energy.

We always encourage you to give yourself a trial period of a few days to assimilate the new routines, customs, schedules, meals, smells … There are many new things that you must adapt to, so it is important to have patience and a positive attitude

3. Always take advantage of the help of your monitor

Although we always encourage you to give yourself a trial period to adapt correctly, you will have your monitor at all times to express your feelings and receive their support if the first hours are proving more difficult than you expected. It is very important that you do not keep your fears and worries to yourself by not wanting to disturb your monitor since it is much easier to solve possible misunderstandings at the beginning before they can turn into bigger problems that could even involve a change of family.

Trust their experience and judgment; In most cases, coexistence problems are resolved by clearing up small misunderstandings.

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