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Martin UK

Surely I’m too old to live with a homestay family?!

I have a couple of favourite hotels I stay in whilst in Beijing, so I took some persuading to go for the homestay option.

It’s the kind of thing you do on a French exchange programme back in middle school, right?

However, I quickly realised it was the right decision when I checked in to my hotel for a couple of nights prior to my course and homestay. I was speaking next to no Mandarin – which felt pretty pointless given my priority for the next two weeks was to practice and learn.

So, on the Sunday afternoon I went to join my host family.

I’d received a note a couple of weeks prior with their address and details – but I was nervous about meeting them, thinking about how I would get by with just a few words of Chinese and given the fact that I’m used to living in my own house, not being a lodger in someone else’s.

I won’t lie, the first few hours were overwhelming – it was the most Mandarin I’d ever heard out of a lesson environment.

I could only pick up little words here and there, but soon I was unpacked and we were eating dinner. I felt much more relaxed.

I was matched with a lovely family – a couple roughly my age with a 10-year old son.

It did feel a little funny being their adoptive second child for a fortnight, with toddler-level Chinese, but they were so patient and welcoming.

It was a great insight in to Chinese daily life, and it was surprising how after two or three days of class I had more confidence to have simple conversations.

A routine was quickly established – I’d get up for breakfast, head out to school, nip to a local gym before being back in time for dinner and then spend a couple of hours working or reviewing my lessons before bedtime. The two weeks flew past, and I’d now highly recommend the homestay option.

Read Martin’s full story about his business trip to Beijing here.

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Roberta Italy

The homestay was almost perfect! The first days were incredible with my host family passing the time with me.

They helped me with my homework and told me about different things in Chinese.

The 2nd week I stayed with the grandmother and the grandfather whilst some of the family went on vacation.

They were super people too. Very kind and great company.

Although I kind of missed the family on vacation, they were hugely helpful and made sure I was never unattended.

They all really let me feel like I was a part of their family.

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Florian Germany

Upon coming to China I stayed with LTL Beijing for 3 months and my experience at my homestay was exceptional. I was placed in Angelina’s (a member of staff at LTL Beijing) homestay. When I arrived China I didn’t speak a word of Chinese so I was fairly scared of just being lost in the big city. Angelina saved me on that fear and made my time on Beijing the best time possible.

The apartment was clean at all times and Angelina really put effort into keeping it clean and tidy even though her dog – Lucky – wouldn’t always support her on that!! Angelina was a really great help at all times and with all my concerns she’d endeavour to solve them. I didn’t feel lost or worried once during my time in Beijing and now finally feel like I am able to master all challenges of living in China independently.

I thank LTL and especially Angelina for that. Furthermore, the homestay was very flexible and easy going. At first I was concerned what “going back to living with parents” would be like, when it’s been a while since you’ve left your real parents / home. I was surprised how amazingly smooth a good relationship could be established while still living with freedom.

I really enjoyed and loved the experience staying with at Angelina’s homestay and would recommend anyone to take up the homestay option as well unless they have their own apartment to stay in. Personally, I would recommend a homestay over shared apartment. The ability to speak Chinese at the homestay, outside of class is invaluable and really speeds up your learning. I came to love and appreciate the little things about Angelina and her home and I am still thinking back on my time and the many wonderful situations that helped my learning. For that I want to thank LTL and especially Angelina and her boyfriend.

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Savannah Australia

My homestay family (Sun Xiao Ying and Lin Bai Le) were fantastic and a home away from home for me. They make wonderful food and do their best to make you feel comfortable.

I became a little ill and my homestay took me to the hospital and waited through the lengthy process with me. When you go out and socialise they make sure you know what bus or train you need to take. As long as you are respectful and helpful to them you will get the same and more in return. They are a great couple and they really take care of you. I will really try to keep in touch with them.

My LTL experience in Beijing was amazing, I came here with around 8 years of middle/high school knowledge of Chinese but every year I managed to be far below the average. I was not confident and I didn’t have enough opportunities to practice and solidify my Chinese. I came to Beijing with little to no confidence in my skill but being in the country and having to learn out of necessity, I surprised myself on my first day having a somewhat flowing conversation with my home-stay family.

You use your skill to communicate with locals but there are some students at LTL who can’t speak your language and you end up having to communicate in Chinese. I’m really pleased with how much I’ve learned here and would definitely consider coming back.

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William Australia

My experience with my homestay has been both beneficial and unique. My Chinese ability has greatly improved because of the immersive environment. I seized every opportunity to interact with my homestay family.

From one such interaction, I learned about the history of the father’s family, as well as his thoughts on the Chinese lifestyle. I also spoke with the daughter about her job, favourite hobbies which are yoga and skiing, and her interest in travel, she loves America for example. Hence, I have had ample opportunity to apply and improve my language skills while living with a homestay family. I also recommend writing down and defining any unfamiliar terms used by your homestay family, as I found this particularly useful for my learning, and was able to pick up common colloquial words.

I have been consistently impressed with the quality and variety of dishes prepared by my Beijing family. These range from simple rice dishes with chicken or pork (very popular in China, expect to eat a lot), to more elaborate fish dinners (we had delicious prawns last night). My all-time favourite food is Xiao Long Bao (steamed meat dumplings). My only issue with food is that they frequently try and overfeed me!! However, I guess if you didn’t enjoy the food you could always just tell them in Chinese or bring your own food into your room (which I have had no trouble with).

A homestay is more than just interaction, you are living there for an extended period, and a comfortable environment is equally, if not more important. In this regard, I have also been very impressed with my homestay. The apartment is clean, the amenities well maintained, and my room is comfortable for study. Everyday I try to revise what new Chinese content I have learned and there is minimal noise pollution to disrupt me. Yes, I live beside a busy road, but you won’t catch any more noise than any other apartment block in Beijing (it’s a busy city). Moreover, my room is well heated, and the bed (while by no means perfect) is fine.

While I can’t speak for everyone’s homestay experience, I can say that I have thoroughly enjoyed my time in Beijing, facilitated by a comfortable homestay arrangement. The first few days are testing (they only speak Chinese, and you’ve never met them), but that quickly passes as you become more familiar with the environment.