Welcoming international students: tips for homestay families
Essential tips for creating a positive, welcoming homestay experience and fostering lasting connections with international students.
Hosting international students offers a unique opportunity to connect with different cultures, share your life, and make a lasting impact. As part of the University of Calgary’s English Language Program, homestay families play a vital role in creating a positive and supportive environment for students. By following a few simple guidelines, you can ensure that both you and your student have an enriching and rewarding experience.
Set expectations early and maintain open communication
Clearly explain household rules from the start and explain why they matter. Regularly check in with your student to address any concerns or changes. Instead of asking “Do you understand?”, try asking students to recall what you've said to ensure clarity.
Create a warm and welcoming atmosphere
Make your home a place where students feel part of the family. Invite them to family meals and activities. Share traditions, holidays, and celebrations with them, creating an inclusive environment.
Create a strong English-language environment
Use English consistently in your home, and ensure at least one family member has good communication skills to assist with student homework and language needs.
Maintain cleanliness and encourage shared responsibility
Encourage students to manage their schedules, daytime meals, and study time, while guiding them on house rules. Keep the home tidy and promote shared responsibility in chores like cleaning up after meals and checking food expiration.
Foster respect by honouring privacy
Just as you expect privacy, students need theirs too. Don’t enter their room without permission. Encourage mutual respect and make sure students feel comfortable and safe in their space.
Maintain a safe and respectful environment
Respect student boundaries, avoid inappropriate behaviour, and maintain clear communication. Respond to discomfort or concerns promptly to ensure a harassment-free, supportive homestay experience for all.
Encourage freedom with responsibility
Avoid imposing curfews on adult students. Ensure they have a key to the main entrance, encourage quiet returns at night, and remind them to securely lock doors. For minors, discuss reasonable home times.
Manage quiet hours for nighttime comfort
Allow students the freedom to enjoy activities like watching TV or talking quietly, as long as they don’t disturb your sleep. Set reasonable quiet hours, ideally starting at 11pm, and discuss specific needs like shower usage during this time.
Be mindful of cultural differences
Understand that cultural norms vary, and something that feels ordinary to you may be unfamiliar or uncomfortable for your student. Build trust through patience and clear communication, especially when addressing cultural misunderstandings.
Medical and mental health support for ESL international students
The University of Calgary Continuing Education international programs provide students with emergency medical and mental supports. All our international ESL students carry an international medical insurance called 'Guard.Me'. 'Guard.Me' also provides our international students an access to use the 'Guard.Me' Mobile Doctor app. Using this Mobile Doctor app will help students get medical services without waiting at a walk-in clinic for hours. Students will need to pay by credit card but can claim the amount on the Guard.Me website. We also provide an additional service called 'Keep.Me.SAFE' counselling service. Students can use this app to receive mental health related counselling.
Kim Campbell’s story: a heartwarming example of a homestay family
Kim Campbell, a homestay host since 2022, beautifully demonstrates the impact of hosting international students. By welcoming students into her home as “Canadian grandma”, Kim creates a warm, family-like environment that goes beyond just providing accommodation. Through family dinners, cultural exchange, and celebrations, she makes students feel truly at home. Her story shows how positive relationships can develop when hosts embrace their roles with kindness, warmth, and open communication.
