The ESL Insider eNewsletter
September 2011

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Home Away From Home, Family Away From Family: Three Students' Experiences Living With Host Families

What would it be like to travel across continents, oceans, even hemispheres to a country you have never been before where you don't speak the language very well? How would it feel to get off the plane and make your way to the baggage claim where you are greeted by people you have only read about but have never met? Finally, what would be the sensation of knowing that you are about to spend the duration of your trip living at their house, sleeping there, eating there and essentially being a part of their family? What would that be like? The majority of the general students at Bridge know exactly how that feels. These first sensations are all a part of living with a host family.

Having stayed with a host family myself in Chile, I can relate to the excitement, nervousness, trepidation, and all of the other feelings that surge through your body upon first meeting your host family. Will I like them? Will I be able to communicate with them? What will my room look like? These are only some of the questions that go through a student's mind when they first see their host family; questions that are soon answered and fondly remembered for the rest of their lives. I had the opportunity to interview three of Bridge's current executive students to find out what their host family experience has been like thus far and after chatting with them, I can safely say that hotels don't stand a chance.

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Where To Go in Denver if You're Homesick…

Everyone is a little homesick when traveling…whether it's for your native food, culture, or music. Denver is a great place to travel to, since we can offer you a little culture from around the world to relieve your itch to be back home. Here are the top 10 options to make you feel at home while in Denver, no matter where you're from:

1. Le Central (French): The best French restaurant in town! Le Central offers authentic French cuisine, wine and dessert. Reasonably priced, this small taste of France will make any Parisian feel like they are back home. (www.lecentral.com)

2. El Centro Su Teatro (Mexican): A cultural base in Denver since 1971, this local theater is nationally-known as culturally diverse and caters to families who live in the US now after moving from Mexico. A great place to go if you want some history and culture in theater form! (www.martinezled.com)

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The Truth About Living With a Host Family

Once a student decides that he or she wants to study at BridgeEnglish in Denver, Colorado, the next and sometimes difficult choice to be made is where to stay. Students have a wide variety of hotels and apartels from which to choose, and for some the privacy and ease of a hotel is the most desirable option. Another possibility, however, is to stay with a host family. Considering this option often raises concerns from both students and their family. What will the family be like? Will the house be nice? How long will I have to travel between school and the home?

Many of our families have hosted with us for years, and many of the newer families have been recommended by more experienced ones. First of all, and most importantly, we look for families who are genuinely interested in other cultures and excited about hosting international students. Most of our families have traveled internationally, and some have even stayed with host families themselves, so they understand the challenges of learning the intricacies of a new culture.

Bridge host families welcome students into their homes as members of the family, and love to help their students settle in to American life. They often enjoy taking their students around to see the sights, both in Denver and in the nearby Rocky Mountains.

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