What is a host family and 6 tips for living with it

Have you finally decided to come to Spain to study spanish?

That's great! You have overcome a big part of the challenge: taking the leap and traveling abroad. 

From here some small challenges begin, such as, for example, find accommodation.

You don't have to worry about this.

If you decide to study at a school, the centers usually offer the possibility of accessing different types of accommodation: 

• Apartments shared with other students.
• Individual apartments.
• Live in a host family.

If you opt for the third option, you will be able to enjoy a very enriching experience sharing your stay in Spain with a authentic spanish family. 

Stay because in this article we tell you everything you need about the host families in Spain.

Let's start! 😉

What is a host family

First of all: are you clear what the word means? “hostess”?

A host is someone who receives guests in their home. 

Therefore, a host family is a family that welcomes foreign students in the city where they are going to study their course. 

Our school is in Valencia, a wonderful city to learn Spanish and very appreciated by foreigners. 

Do you dare to live this experience?  

Discover Valencia with us.

Requirements to be a host family

You may be wondering what you have to do to be a host family of foreign students. 

It's very easy. 

Here we summarize it in 5 points:

• any family it can be. You may have one or more children, you may not have any, you may even be a separated mother or father. You can live in any neighborhood, be a young or old family... 
• It is necessary to offer the student a room with its own bed, a wardrobe and a space to study, such as a table or a desk. The Room can be single or shared.
• offer basic services: food, kitchen utensils, shower, maintenance, etc. 
• From time to time you have to try involve the student in Spanish culture:  making some typical food, taking a walk through the city center, starting conversations... The important thing is that the student feels like he or she lives in a family.
• The host must always be respectful of the culture of the guest and the country where they come from.

The tolerance and the desire to live with other cultures is very important.

As you can see, it is very simple, it is simply a matter of be polite and offer basic services of a house 😊

Volunteer families  

volunteer families they do not receive a financial benefit for hosting students.

They can receive help for living expenses. 

These families welcome the students because they really enjoy the cultural exchange with people from other countries. 

They usually get very involved, they love talking to them, they take them to activities or show them the city or nearby towns.

The stays with thevolunteer families are usually short.

Paid families

paid families In Spain they do receive money and usually host students throughout the academic year, which can last up to a year or even more.

Benefits of being a host family

If you are a student and come to Spain to live with a host family It is going to be a very beautiful and enriching experience. 

There is no better way to learn the culture of a country if you live with people from that country, don't you think? 

Both students and families will benefit:

• You are going to meet people from other countries.

You will open your mind and you will learn another way of seeing things, other behaviors that you have never seen before.

• You will develop your social skills.

Living with people from other countries requires more communication effort than if you live with people from your own country. 

• You will be able make friends that last forever and later visit them in their countries. 
• You can learn another language!

How to be a Host Family in Spain

Generally, in Spain there are a series of protocols for families who wish to be Host Family (host family in English).

There are different agencies from host families or educational centers that select them.

The normal thing is that Families fill out a form with data personal details, location of the house, number of rooms, rooms, distance from the house to the school where the student will study, etc.

Furthermore, aagency or school worker goes to the home to see that everything is correct and interview each member of the family.

If the evaluation of the visit is positive, the family will be accepted.

The center or agency are in contact at all times with the family to guide them, just as they also help the student with any questions or problems they may have.

How much they pay to host foreign students at home is information that we cannot really specify, since in each agency or center the price is different.

6 Tips for living with a host family

Now that you have all the necessary information, you probably want to embark on this adventure and spend your stay in Spain with a local family.

Next, we give you 6 tips for living as a family, may your stay here be phenomenal and may they treat you like another son.

1. Positive relationship with family

You family abroad They are going to host you in their house without knowing you, many will even do it voluntarily without receiving any financial benefit. 

show them your gratitude being kind: speak with your new family, participate in their daily activities, get interested about their lives, talk to them about your classes, your teachers, your classmates, what you have done... 

With these small initial conversations you will gain confidence.

Later you will have no problem talking about any topic with your Spanish family.

Is your level of Spanish not very high? No problem,the smile It is the universal language, you will learn to speak little by little. 

Basic words like “good morning,” “see you later,” “enjoy it,” or “thank you” will make the family feel comfortable with you. 

If you feel like studying a little before coming, in this article about The most useful phrases in Spanish, for traveling around Spain you will be able to see more vocabulary related to the greetings, farewells and thanks. I'm sure it will be of great help! 😉

2. Gifts for the host family

You need to spend a lot of money on gifts, A LOT. Just kidding 😀 

A simple detail is enough: something typical from your country, a wine, a good meal, some clothes, a coupon for a massage... 

You don't need to spend a lot of money or buy something super original.

As we say in Spain: 'The important thing is the detail'.

3. Comply with the rules

There are families stricter than others. We cannot tell you what rules there are because in each house they may be different. 

Don't worry, the key is to be a respectful person. 😉

We can give you a series of general advice: 

• Be clean and tidy.
• Don't leave your dishes in the sink for too long.
• Don't play music at night or talk on the phone or video call in the wee hours of the morning.
• Don't take anyone home without family consent.

These basic rules of coexistence, surely they are more than enough to live happily and contentedly in your new home.

4.RSpecify schedules and meals

This point is totally related to the previous one. 

To the Spaniards love to eat together. If you always eat or dine at different times than your host family, it will seem like you have no interest in them. 

Try to share some food with them from time to time and your relationship with your new family will be much better. 

It is normal that you sometimes dine out. Surely you are going to meet many friends and you will come up with a thousand plans. 

In those cases, tell the family and if you are going to arrive home late, Let them know so they can be calm.

5. Communicate with family

There is a stereotype that Spaniards are talkative.  It's true? 

Well, it depends on the person, but the truth is thatIn general we love to talk. 😀

We like people who express themselves and share their thoughts and anecdotes with us. 

Maybe in your culture doing this takes a little time, but here you can do it practically from the beginning. 

A good time to communicate with the family is during meals. 

Share moments around a table It unites people a lot and these moments of conversation are perfect for practicing Spanish and learning new words. 

Tell them how your Spanish classes are going, the plans you have with your friends for the weekend, etc. Don't be ashamed! 

Furthermore, speaking at home you will hear many everyday expressions and phrases that are not in books.

6. Cultural differences

Enjoy the cultural exchange.  Don't be afraid to do new things. 

The unknown is not better or worse, it is simply different. 

Local food? Yeah! ¿New customs? Yeah! 

Getting to know new cultures will make you learn many things and have a more open mind.

Make the most of this experience! So, when it's over, you will have learned and enjoyed a lot.

We hope these tips help you. 

In Hispania, Spanish school, we will be happy to accompany you on the adventure of learning Spanish and getting to know Spanish culture with our spanish courses and our host families.

Article written by Carlos Martinez for Hispania, Spanish school

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