Advantages of staying with a family during a study trip

When traveling abroad to learn a new language, there are many ways to spend your stay in this new country. You can rent a room, it is more frequent although less economical to go to a student residence center, and—the best methodology of all—you can choose accommodation with a host family in that country.

The greatest advantage of staying with a family in the country where you have gone to study is that constant practice of the language is guaranteed. The parents, relatives, friends, and also children (if there are any) of the family probably do not know the student's language, so the student will always be forced to try to express themselves in the native language, which will promote their learning.

Another very important advantage is being able to experience firsthand the local customs of the country you are traveling to, both in terms of lunch and dinner (type of food, schedules, and protocol), as well as during the stay at home (use of the rooms, the dining room, the kitchen), everyday situations (doing the shopping, cleaning the house, preparing breakfast), etc.

This way of experiencing foreign customs in person also helps to improve all related vocabulary in a more direct and effective way than any study attempted in a classroom, given that experiencing things firsthand will help you remember them for a longer time, both in terms of actions and expressions spoken and heard.

Similarly, it is quite likely that you will spend time with the family outside the house; that is, going with them to places they frequently visit, celebrating holidays if they coincide with the period of your stay, or even (depending on the country) wearing traditional regional costumes.

Through these actions, you can experience these situations firsthand and learn vocabulary, grammar, and everything related to these activities.

Along with this constant learning, the geographical component at all levels is also noteworthy. It is easy to learn transportation methods, places like bus stops, subway stations, etc.; iconic sites from famous squares to popular streets and avenues; buildings famous for their history or their tourist character, etc. All these places are easier to get to know with a host family than if you travel individually or with other students, since those who live in the area will be the best tour guides to get to know, understand, and learn everything related to these sites.