Enhancing the Homestay: Study Abroad from the Host Family's Perspective

Most foreign language departments encourage their students not only to study abroad, but also to live with host families to maximize linguistic and cultural exposure to the target culture. While there have been a number of studies examining study abroad from the student's and program's perspectives, the native perspective of the homestay experience has been missing. To helpful this void, 24 host families were interviewed in their home settings. The interview data were analyzed using the NUD*IST computer program to determine salient, recurring topics. This article discusses the study design and the major themes that emerged. It concludes with the hosts' recommendations on how students, programs, and the native families themselves can work together to enhance the homestay experience.