It is very important to choose what host family you stay with.
There are several options, such as school dormitories, homestay, and room sharing. However, do you know which type is right for you?
How do other people choose homestay?
In my case, I first experienced homestay and then room sharing.
Based on that, what was the purpose of choosing a homestay at the beginning, what was good and what was bad? I would like to talk about such things.
If you are uncertain about where to stay, please refer to it.
What is the purpose of homestay in the US?
Everyone has a different purpose for homestay.
Here are some of the reasons why other students, including myself, chose homestay.
Reiko Education Bridge
I'm ashamed to say that my English level before study abroad was at the same level as an elementary school kids.
Anyway, I want to learn English quickly! If you have a strong feeling and are accustomed to living in the US, you can get various advice when you are in trouble.
I chose homestay because it would be a good fit.
Takashi attending a Language in Santa Monica
Reason why I chose homestay because breakfast and dinner come with homestay.
I don’t like cooking and not good at it.
If I spend time cooking, I would rather study.
Another big point was that the homestay was cheaper than the dormitory.
Kyoko attending to a Language school in Westwood
The purpose of choosing a homestay was to experience American culture such as Halloween and Christmas.
I was studying American culture at university in Japan, so I was interested.
Mari attending to Language school in Hollywood
Mari attending to Language school in Hollywood
There is an opportunity to speak at the school dormitory, but I thought it was better to talk with native speaker to improve my English quickly.
Also, I requested a host family who has kids.
Because they speak with simple words and it would be easy to understand for me.
Good things about homestay
What was the good thing about actually having a homestay?
Education Bridge、Reiko
I often communicate with my host family at dinner, and it was my daily routine to tell my host family what happened today and what I learned at school while eating.
Thanks to that, I think that the smooth input and output speeded up my English proficiency.
There are many things I didn't understand in my daily life, such as how to use self-checkout at a supermarket, how to send luggage to Japan, etc. I was grateful that there was a person nearby who could teach me such things. .
Takashi
The host mother always cooked nice food and provided me with healthy food.
It's delicious!
To be honest, I was grateful that I didn't expect much from American food. When I heard about my friend's host, my family was a hit.
Kyoko
The most memorable thing is that I was able to celebrate Thanksgiving with my host family.
There is no culture called Thanksgiving in Japan, so it's very fresh.
Eating big turkeys, playing games with the host family and having time with a valuable experience.
Mari
I am glad that I was able to play with my host family's children, help mommy cook, and improve my English skill naturally from my daily life.
The host's kids became a teacher and taught me English and sometimes helped me with my homework, so I'm grateful for this.
Bad experience for homestay
I received various impressions, but most of them answered about the house rules, such as having a curfew and having a fixed shower time.
Homestays may have a curfew or turn-off time for families with kids.
However, the benefits I got from homestay are greater than these, and if I dare to say it, I think it's about house rules ... There are many people, so I don't think I was so dissatisfied.
Impressions of homestay
In my opinion, I'm really glad that I had a homestay experience first. I live in an unfamiliar place, so there are many things I don't understand at first.
I am grateful that there was a family that I could rely on at such times.
I shared a room when I got used to life in the United States, but if this was the first room share, it seems that my study abroad life wasn't going well …
If you don’t mind cooking for yourself, and you have your private time, a dormitory would suit you.
However, there may be many Japanese people in the dormitory, and the chances of talking to native speakers will be less than in homestays.
You should decide on your homestay, dormitory, room share, etc. depending on what you want from your accommodation and what you want to prioritize.
At our company, we like families with children, we can make requests in advance such as homes with pets, hosts who communicate with us, etc.!
Also, depending on the time and conditions, you can choose your favorite host from a few candidates.
If you have any questions, please feel free to ask me.
English 
日本語