Experience Canadian Culture in a Homestay
Get a close, personal perspective on Canadian culture by staying with a local host family.
If you're thinking about studying in Canada, one of the big questions you'll have to address is where you'll stay. Sure, you could rent an apartment, buy a condo, or live in residence: each has its pros and cons. But before you make the big decision, consider taking part in a homestay instead.
In a homestay, you live in the home of a Canadian family. You'll have a bedroom — which you may share with another student of the same gender from your home country — and shared access to common areas, like the kitchen, restrooms and living room. You'll share meals and social time with your hosts, and you'll get to know Canadian culture from the ground up!
There are many programs across the country, like YES Canada or Canada Homestay Network, that will help you connect with your host family. Some schools will help directly, too. In most cases, you'll meet with an adviser in your home country or online who will assess your needs and match you with an appropriate homestay. You'll be paired with a local co-ordinator who will check in with you, your host family, and your family back home, to ensure everyone involved is happy and healthy. Your co-ordinator will also set up an orientation for you in your new country, and help you establish your transit options, banking, health care, and other necessities.
Host families undergo a rigorous vetting and training process, so you can be sure you're going to a safe, productive place to live and study. You may be placed with a "nuclear family," a single parent, or any other family composition you can imagine! You'll only be matched if the fit is good for everyone.
When living in your homestay, you'll have plenty of chances to practice your language skills and explore Canadian culture and etiquette. You'll get a broader view of ways of life that differ from how you were raised, and you'll build relationships with locals who can help you access services and opportunities in your new country — not to mention the lifelong friends you're sure to make along the way.
Should things go amiss, you'll be able to reach out to your local co-ordinator to help mediate disputes or organize a different homestay for you. If you find yourself missing home, check out our Top Five Tips for Beating Homesickness.
If you want to truly experience a country as the locals do, you have to live among them. By taking part in a Canadian homestay, you'll speak the local language, eat home-cooked food, and enjoy a warm, welcoming, family environment in your new home away from home!