Welcoming students into your home is a unique opportunity for you and your family to exhibit hospitality while embracing cultural diversity, fostering lifelong friendships, and enhancing your family's language skills (only if you wish!). In return for competitive rates of pay and comprehensive support from Suzie and the team, we need Host Families that can provide a clean and comfortable home, a willingness to include the student(s) in their family life and collection from some activities.
Hosting students from France, Germany or Spain gives you and your family a chance to do something a bit different for a week (stays vary from 4-7 nights). By welcoming students into your home, you will learn more about a different way of life while also appreciating your own culture more as you show it off to the visitors. Families and students often stay in touch after the trip and some families have even gone on to visit their students in their home country.
Our students’ aim is to be immersed in English during their stay, however, we very much encourage bilingual interaction if a family would like to try out their French, German or Spanish skills as it is a great way for everyone to learn and to get to know one another better. This can be particularly motivating for your children to see how a foreign language can be put into real life practice.
We are proud of the rates that we offer Host Families (please contact us directly for info as rates are constantly reviewed) and always pay all Hosts in full before the end of the visit.
Whether it’s your first time hosting or you’re an experienced Host Family, it is always reassuring to know that you are 100% supported before, during and after the visit. When you first express an interest in hosting, Suzie, Jude or Alison will come round to talk you though how the visit works and answer any questions that you have. Our itineraries are very well organised with clear instructions and if there is ever a delay, we notify you immediately by a WhatsApp Broadcast List which protects your data while letting you be completely up to date. After the trip we always take time to listen to your feedback.
During a week’s visit, we offer 2 social out-of-school activities for your students to join the French, German or Spanish group free of charge. This is usually a day trip including linguistic and cultural activities and the second activity is the ‘end of visit’ social event which is either an evening of Bowling or a Party. These activities are the perfect way for all students to develop their new international friendships in a more relaxed social setting.
As part of the experience, all families in your school are offered the chance to be a Host Family for the French, German or Spanish students and teachers. The experience offers a range of benefits by giving children and parents alike an opportunity to learn about a different culture and practise their language skills (if they wish!), while making new friends. We visit each Host Family before they host and support them carefully during the visit. Our competitive rates of pay per student are an additional bonus.
We want this opportunity to be available to all your students regardless of ability or financial background, so all the activities are free of charge. We are experienced teachers and have been running Language Immersion Trips since 2009 so you can rest assured that we have the necessary experience and expertise to fully organise and run all the activities, with just a member of your staff to support your students and to be a point of contact for them. Lesson Plans, Risk Assessments and Team Lists are provided before the visit in good time for you to suggest any changes that you might like to see. We bring all photocopies and resources with us so that you don’t need to worry about any of the organisational details.
Most of our students like to stay in pairs with Host Families, although there are sometimes a few who ask to be placed individually into a family as well as some groups of 3. The students’ room needs to be clean and comfortable with proper mattresses to sleep on and a small space to unpack some clothes. Students can share the family bathroom and it’s always a good idea to explain to students when would be a good time for them to shower.
Our Host Families are a crucial part of the experiences that we offer students, and as such we look for Host Families that are excited to be welcoming students (aged 12-17) wholeheartedly in to their family. Including them in your everyday routines; from enjoying meals together to visiting a local place of interest during the Host Family Sunday, enriches the experience for everyone. It is a chance for both Host Families and visiting Students to create cherished memories and deep connections that last far longer than just the visit.
While the students are here, we ask Host Families to act in ‘loco parentis’ meaning that we ask you to treat the students the same way that you treat your own children. There are some afternoons and evenings where you or one of your family will need to collect the students. Details of these pick-ups or drop-offs will be explained to you right from the start so that you can check they fit with your schedule.
Host Families for the French, German and Spanish students and teachers come from your school, but we organise all of this and take full responsibility for vetting, supporting and paying all Host Families. All we need from you, is that you send out an email to all parents letting them know about the opportunity to host. After that, all communication is between us and the Host Family directly.
We arrive at your school fully prepared with all the necessary resources for our bilingual activities which are usually run by Suzie and an assistant. The accompanying French, German or Spanish teachers are there to help supervise and all we need from you, is a minimum of 1 member of your school staff who can be a point of contact for your students and who can lend us a hand with the general organisation. Suzie, Tom and all our regular staff have a DBS enhanced certificate and are First Aid Trained.
We want this opportunity to be available to all your students regardless of ability or financial background, so all the activities are free of charge. We are experienced teachers and have been running Language Immersion Trips since 2009 so you can rest assured that we have the necessary experience and expertise to fully organise and run all the activities, with just a member of your staff to support your students and to be a point of contact for them. Lesson Plans, Risk Assessments and Team Lists are provided before the visit in good time for you to suggest any changes that you might like to see. We bring all photocopies and resources with us so that you don’t need to worry about any of the organisational details.
