Homestay

**Program currently closed**

"Unfortunately due to the COVID19 pandamic our homestay program is on pause until future notice. Please check back in the future for updates. Thank you!" -English Friend

Would your family like to become a host for a Korean student?

Click here to read testimonials from past homestay families

About the Program

English Friend links Christian host families with Korean students to give an English language immersion experience to Korean students typically for two to twelve weeks during the summer and winter months. Being a host family is not a casual commitment, but it can be a great blessing to you and your family! Dozens of American families have been host families for us in recent years.

Program Goal

The purpose of the English Friend Homestay program is to give an opportunity to Korean

students to have an experience of intensive English training. Daily tutoring times and daily use of English in natural context provides an opportunity for students to accelerate their learning and achieve in a few weeks what would have taken a couple months.

In addition to receiving the benefits of further English skill development, students participating

in this program will have the opportunity to further develop their character. As they interact with their home stay family and others they meet during the home stay experience they have the opportunity to come face to face with good Christian role models and examples of God’s design for the family.

Of course being in the U.S. allows students to reap the benefits of learning about a foreign country, its culture and its traditions. We desire that the home stay experience will be a great blessing to the home stay family. Families receiving Korean students into their home have the opportunity to share the experiences and wisdom God has given to them in a way that is life changing to the student.

As relationships and friendships grow between the homestay family and the student’s family, doors of friendship and ministry are opened!

Frequently Asked Questions

Tips for Hosting

1. Upon arrival, give a quick tour of the living areas in your home. This way, it will be easier for them to find their way around. Show them their bedroom and the bathroom they'll be using, and help them get settled in.

2. Have a clearly defined schedule written out so the students know what to be expecting was a big thing for us. Even if it varied a little from time to time, students knew what to expect, how to get dressed for the day’s events, etc.

3. Have some snacks available such as fresh fruit, crackers, dried fruit, granola, etc. for the students to have free access to during the day. Even if you tell your student to make themselves at home in your kitchen, chances are they won’t feel comfortable doing so and food in a foreign country can be difficult to adjust to.

4. Give them time to warm up! Our students were quite shy at first. They really needed time to warm up. Also, they seemed to open up to us more after we went to social outings.

5. Incorporate your guests into your normal activities. While you’ll probably also do fun things while the students are here, the students want to be a part of your household while they are visiting.

6. Remember that your guests will be jet lagged when they arrive, so don't plan anything big for their first day. Let them get some rest and try to acclimate to your time zone that is hours different from their own. It can take up to a week for them to adjust to the time difference.

7. Communicate your family or house rules early on so that students can respect them.

8. Give space and privacy. The student may need time alone at times to process. Be sure they have a quiet place they can rest in.

9. Make sure the students understand that they can eat anything that they want at the table! One of our students didn't know, and sometimes she didn't take everything she wanted.

10. Don't expect the student to be available right away when their plane lands. One student took about 2 hours to go through customs. If they've been through customs at a different airport (because they stopped at another American airport on the way) it does not take as long.

11. When you are going to do something, explain in detail events that will be taking place and your expectations for the student while they are there. Explain everything you know that is going to happen BEFORE you go to an event. Tell them where you are going, who will be there, what it will be like, what they should do, and if they need to pay. One student knew where we were going because the family had been talking about it, but the family discovered in the car that she actually didn't know anything of what was going on and was confused and frightened.

12. "One of our students really enjoyed going to a Chinese restaurant one day. She felt that it was very familiar, and was telling us about the Chinese foods that we were eating and how it was the same/different from Korean food."

13. It is important to plan according to the student's likes and dislikes. For example, one student really enjoyed shopping, so the host family wanted to give ample time and allowed for 6 hours at the Mall of America. Come to find out, the student actually just wanted to see the mall, not actually make any purchases so she only was interested in looking around for an hour or so.

14. "Because we live in the country, we find that it is a long trip to bring the students to activities in the cities. We try to co-ordinate the student's activities with our errands. We also try to find more things that we can do that are closer. (eg. going to a park, shopping at local stores, etc.)"

Please prayerfully consider being a host family and if you feel you want to be a part of this opportunity, click on the link below to fill out an application with your family's information.

Submit your homestay host application here

…And don’t forget the good ol’ fashioned hospitality!