Language School Homestay

In each course town during the weeks of classes, the most common housing option is the Language School Homestay. Our partner language schools arrange host families who provide room & board and a safe environment for our students. Most of these families live within a fifteen-minute walk of the center of the course town and language schools. In larger course towns families may be located up to a twenty-minute walk or short bus ride away.

Some families are made up of father, mother & children, but many have no children of their own living at home, or are single-parent households. They often live in modest apartments, and like most European households, air conditioning is rare. Many times, students from other countries share a family with our ECI participants, adding to the international flavor of the Homestay experience. Generally, we place two ECI students per household.

Although our language School Homestay families are carefully chosen and provide comfortable, safe and friendly accommodation, this kind of housing option is not a total immersion experience. For this reason the majority of our study abroad programs provide the opportunity for our students to immerse themselves fully in the culture and language of France and Spain by offering an individual Host Family Immersion Week.

Residential Program

Centrally located, the student residences (dorms) we select are very near to the language schools. ECI chaperones live with the students in the dorms, share meals together, and are therefore able to form close bonds and relationships of trust and mutual respect with the students.

Students usually share, two to a room, and receive all or the majority of their meals at the residence, often provided in the dining hall. There are usually laundry facilities and communal areas. Please note that student residences generally do not have air conditioning.

 

Hotels

During travel portions, students stay in hotels. ECI hotels are always a 3-star minimum with many being of a 4-star standard. Students share in twins or triples. We make every effort to choose hotels that are centrally located and in safe areas. All hotel accommodations include breakfast and sometimes dinner in the hotel restaurant. Wherever possible we select hotels that have air conditioning.

 

Lyon Immersion Families

Lyon host families are chosen by ECI and not a language school, in much the same way we choose our Host Family Immersion Week families. Our Coordinators carefully select each family and spend time making a careful match in order to ensure our students get the best host family experience possible. However, unlike the Immersion Week families, our students get together every day with the group and take part in a program of cultural hands-on activities & exciting excursions. Host family time is in the evenings when students have the opportunity to eat dinner and interact fully with their families.

To get the most from the immersion experience in Lyon, we usually place students individually in families.

 

Host family Immersion Week Families

After two weeks of practicing your conversation skills during classes and enjoying a fantastic variety of hands-on activities with your group, you will be fully prepared for your individual* total immersion experience.

Our Immersion Week families truly embody the “homestay” philosophy – completely sharing their lives with you and helping you to learn about their culture.

This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to become immersed in Spain or France’s traditions & language, while at the same time forming lifelong friendships!

*Students stay one to a family, other than in cases of extenuating circumstances.

 

Who are the Immersion Host Families?

ECI has developed an extensive network of coordinators in Spain & France who are committed to finding families. Our coordinators do not work for a language school; rather, they work directly for ECI. The families do not host to earn money; rather, they hope to develop a lifelong friendship with you. They share with you their daily lives, culture, home & food. They will involve you as much as possible in family events and introduce you to friends & relatives.

Often, our families have teens of a similar age to you and are comprised mom, dad & children, but like families all over the world, single parent households are not uncommon.

 

How do we choose our Immersion Families?

During the application process you will write a personal letter with information about yourself, your family, ambitions, hobbies & interests. From these important details, our Host Family Coordinators will do their best to select the most appropriate match for you. They will take into account any of your specific requests and will try to match your interests with those of your Immersion Family.

 

Is it a Week of Total Immersion?

During your week of Immersion, there will usually not be any organized group activities or get-togethers with other ECI students. The purpose of this week is for you to immerse yourself as much as possible in the language & culture of your family.

Sometimes your family may offer to take you on local excursions or to family parties, but more often than not, you will be living the daily life of the family, enjoying mealtimes, watching TV, going shopping with your host parents, or simply relaxing and enjoying getting to know your family.

Oftentimes there will be teenagers of a similar age in your host family, but your experience is also about connecting with every member of your family – the parents, younger children and even grandparents. This will help you to gain the most from your immersion experience.

During your stay the chaperone team is on-call twenty-four hours per day to assist you in any way needed.

For many students, the immersion aspect of the program is the most enjoyable and rewarding!

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