At Home in Japan

Module 3.3

Homestay Check Lists

Host Family Check List (2)

2. Expectations: What expectations/worries do you have about being a host family?

	1.	Communication difficulties: trouble occurring because of language differences.
	2.	Cultural differences: customs and values that don’t coincide.
	3.	Compatibility with the student: Will s/he fit in smoothly with the family’s everyday routines and adapt to our household? .
	4.	Time burdens: Hosting the student will take up too much time.
	5.	Financial burdens: Hosting the student will be too expensive.

2. Expectations: Answer Feedback

1.	Communication difficulties: trouble occurring because of language differences. Even though neither you nor the student may speak each other’s language well, you may still be able to manage quite well. As one host family reported: "Communicating with the unskilled Japanese of the foreign student and the poor English of the host family turned out not to be a problem. Both spoke at the level they were able but also communicated 'heart-to-heart'". This success ultimately gave the family considerable confidence.
2.	Cultural differences: customs and values that don’t coincide. Many host families report about experiencing cultural differences, and this is one of the reasons they became hosts. They thought that even if these experiences were not good, they are considered to be very valuable.
3.	Compatibility with the student: Will s/he fit in smoothly with the family’s everyday routines and adapt to our household? . Even if the student does accommodate to the family, there are likely to be some gaps (just as there would be if you tried to live in a French, Korean, or American family). As one host put this: "There were some problems, but we spoke frankly together about them and I think we were able to get beyond the guest stage and achieve a good rapport. We are glad we hosted the student."
4.	Time burdens: Hosting the student will take up too much time. This depends a lot on how the host family approaches the homestay. As one host mother reports: "From the beginning I tried to take the strain from my shoulders, and not overdo things". Time spent with the homestay student also came to be seen by many families as something other than a burden. Many families spoke of considerable enjoyment in going places and talking about many subjects with the student: "The whole family was able to really enjoy being with the student. We had some lively times together that were so interesting."
5.	Financial burdens: Hosting the student will be too expensive. The financial arrangements for hosting a homestay vary from program to program. It is important to find out the details of the financial arrangement so that you know what to expect in advance. However, in most programs hosting a homestay student should not impose a financial burden.

In summary

Many of the worries that host families have before the homestay turned out to be less problematic than they thought. At one study abroad center, host families surveyed before and after they hosted exchange students listed their worries and rated them on a scale of 1-5. It turned out that each of the items ended up being less worrisome in the actual homestay than the families had anticipated before the homestay.

Host families were often surprised by events in the homestay they had not anticipated. Many learned things about themselves and experienced benefits that they had not foreseen.

Some families encountered difficulties they hadn’t anticipated during the homestay. But these difficulties themselves often produced positive learning situations, where each side realized something important about the other. Thus to the extent that the families were able to respond to the challenges successfully, they became learning opportunities. (See Part 3 for case narratives of some of these experiences).

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