Upon first meeting their host family, there are many people who have no idea what to say. In this post, we will talk about what to talk about in this situation as well as how to introduce yourself. After reading this you should be all set!
However, before that…first of all let’s clear up some misconceptions people have when it comes to this topic. Whether or not you know about these will affect the speed at which your English improves, plus we will tell you the key to having a successful homestay.
No One Is Expecting You to Speak “Perfect” English
”What will happen if I make a grammatical mistake?!”
“I can’t speak in sentences…only words…”
Is your attitude towards speaking English similar to these points? First of all, your host family does not expect you to speak perfectly. Since you’re coming to America to study English, they understand that your English will not be totally fluent or accurate. It is fine if you make many grammar mistakes! For simple daily conversation, as long as you are able to string necessary words together you wil be able to communicate. What’s most important is not speaking perfectly, but the effort you put into trying to speak English.
What’s so bad about Japanese accented English? (Nothing!)
It’d be awesome to have pronunciation like a native, right? However, acquiring such great pronunciation is something that is truly difficult. English and Japanese utilize different muscles and parts of the tongue, and there are sounds in English that don’t exist in Japanese. In America (and especially in Los Angeles), there are people from many walks of life and backgrounds who speak English with different accents (such as the Chinese, Korean, and Italian accents.) Therefore, it’s best to not worry or be embarrassed about speaking English with a Japanese accent and just remember what’s most important: communication. After all, if you’re always worried about your grammar or pronunciation, your English speaking ability will never improve.
What Greetings to Use During Your Homestay
How to greet your host family the first time you talk to them is actually already written about in a separate post. Feel free to take a look!
Sample Messages and Phrases For Use During Your Homestay (With Scenarios!)
How to Greet Someone
The first thing you should do when you meet your host family is to of course greet them. Either “Hello!” or “Hi, how are you!” will work. If you are asked “How are you?”, a simple “I am good, thank you.” will suffice.
Tell Them Your Name
After greeting your host family, you should tell them your name. During this part, hosts might hug you or shake your hand, and this is also part of the greeting culture in America. Also, in America there is sometimes a custom of hugging when meeting someone or saying goodbye, so don’t be surprised if this happens.
Small Talk Starts
After introducing yourself to your host family, they will probably ask you various kinds of small talk questions.
You can reply in any way you wish, or simply replying with a “Good” or “Tired” is okay too.
They may also continue asking you questions about other things after this.
How to Introduce Yourself
Regarding the best time to properly introduce yourself, it could be at any time, but perhaps after you put your bags down and settle in a bit or even during dinner could both be good times. What to say during your self introduction really depends on you, so there is no need to say “Wahh I MUST say this!” Generally though, most people will say their hometown, what they do back in Japan (student, working), their major if they’re a student or their job if they're working, and other things such as their hobbies. If you’re from a major city your host family will probably know it, but otherwise you might want to bring souvenirs from your town and introduce your town to them. And of course, you are not required to bring souvenirs at all if you don’t want to, just if you think it will be useful for you when talking about where you’re from.
We have compiled a list of souvenirs that are sure to delight your host family, so please have a look if you’re interested!
Host family in Los Angeles is overjoyed! 5 best souvenirs from Japan.
Back to the topic at hand, let’s look at a sample self-introduction.
“I am a college student from Osaka, which is famous for Takoyaki.” While it’s probably okay to leave out the takoyaki part, I like to include it since it might serve as a good jump off point for further conversation.
For example, when I mention I’m from Osaka, the other person might say “I have hosted students from Osaka before. There is a lot of good and cheap food in Osaka, right?”, which in turn continues the conversation and drives it forward. Or if I mention I like cooking, the other person might ask me about what food I cook or how I cook it, and from this topic the conversation can continue to grow.
What’s important to remember here is that it is totally NOT necessary to speak perfect English! If you worry about this too much, you will find yourself ultimately unable to speak. More important than pronunciation or grammar is communication, which even with subpar English is doable!
Should you find yourself unable to understand what the other person is saying, request clarification by saying “Could you say that again, please?”, or more simply “Sorry?” could also suffice. Even if you have to ask for your host family to repeat what they have said many times, it is not a problem! What is a problem though is acting like you actually understood what was said when you actually didn’t, as that can lead to trouble later on, so be sure to avoid doing this.
Summary
In the end, there is no “correct” way to introduce yourself. Just think of it as a way to tell your host family more about yourself and a starting point for further conversation. Your host doesn’t always have to be one to start conversations, so remember to try being proactive and asking your hosts questions as well! Whether or not you are able to communicate with your host family is the key to making your homestay a success. You may be nervous the first few times, but after a while you will get used to it! The better you get at communicating in English, the easier it will be to make friends, enriching your life as an international student and making everything more fun! :)
English 
日本語