Homestay or College Dormitories: Which helps more?
Many international students assume that living in a college dormitory or staying with a family is the magic wand or key to improving their English. In some cases, it can help, but there is no guarantee. For example, some international students get discouraged when their native-speaking roommates at college don't hang out with them, but instead, are gone to jobs or just spend time with their other friends. This is the reality: native speakers often live busy lives and don't have time to be conversation partners to students who are just learning English. Futhermore, some native speakers feel that internationals students just want to be their friend to practice their English. Besides all of this, if students have to choose between a homestay experience and living in a college dorm, which would be the best choice in terms of convenience, opportunities for language and cultural experience, cost, and even safety? Please share your ideas on the topic.
Randall
37 comments:
In my personal opinion, living in a college dormitory is better than staying with a family for foreign students.
Staying with a family has some limits. First, staying with a family makes it possible for students feel restricted. For example, students have to be care for with their behavior such as without making noise, bringing their friends to home for a visit. They would be uncomfortable to do anything in the living room such as watching TV and reading newspaper. Next, while eating with a family can save students’ time not to cook by themselves, they cannot but follow the family’s taste. It is too hard for a foreign student to change their dietary habit to have each strange meal. Furthermore, it is also not good that students speak to certain people to exercise their second language. One of my foreign friends who used to live with a family during her college told me that she understood well the family members with whom she lived, but she have big trouble with understanding other people. She rarely had opportunities to talk others after school.
On the other hand, living in a dormitory has many advantages. For one thing, students feel free when they are in their room and student lobbies. They can freely talk without worry about making noise; they can also go out with friends to have fun. Besides, Students can cook whatever they want; they can share their individual international cooking receipt one another. They improve not one their language skills, but also have fun. Most of all, students have many opportunities to talk multi people. For example, they share their ideas, do their project together,and talk about their cultures, etc.
Although living in college dormitory has some disadvantages such as drinking, smoking, and other bad habits, it is depend on individual. I lived in a college dormitory for years and loved it, because I learned so much knowledge which could not find in books.
Haidan from New Mexico
In my experience and opinion, I definitely prefer to live in Dorm. Because when I lived with a family, I couldn't choose what kind of food I wanted to have. Plus, two small kids and the host fater is very nosiy for watching the sports channel on TV even the mid night.
One day, I ate too much for lunch then, the host mother told me I had no dinner on dinner time. It was hard for me to go shopping food at midnight because no walking distance to any food shops, of course no transportations so, I had to wait until next day without eating food at the day.
I strongly feel like homestay is just business in Australia. Most of them don't care about students... they just think about money only.
If you live in Dorm, you can get freedom... you can eat whatever you want to and you can invite your friends there, plus, you can make a alot of friends there. That's fabulous.
I never recommend to everybody to live with a family because they are just doing for money.
I would like to hear your opinion.
Cheers.
From my experience, young people aged under 17 should live with a homestay as they have to learn about descipline and stay away from some troubles like drinking, using drug, smoking, and sexual harrassment. If you are a grown-up, you can stay on your own or flatting with mates. Living in a homestay helps me learn a lot of english so far. It's not just the language but about the culture, learning how to share, and being considerate about the others.
In my opinion, I think living in the homestay is not so bad. I'm an international student studying in USA and living in a host family. I know that some people don't like to live in a host family but I think it depend on the style of each family. I admit that there are some problems here such as the food, the freedom, the languge... but not every native family is bad. Some really take care of you and make friend with you. According to my experience, I think students should live with the hosts who don't have children or their children are living far away, so they can take more care about you. May be, living in the dormitory is good but living with a family is not so bad.
In think it is more helful for an international student to stay at College Dormitories. It is more convenience in a shool dormitory than homestay because you don't have to commute from your home to your school. You have also more opportunities for language and cultural experience because in a dormitory you are surrounded by many students where English language is a medium for communication especially when you are mingling with a native-speaking English. So, you can practice in actual what you've learned in English. Aside from that, since you are an international student and perhaps having a cultural shock because you are not used in American culture, then, you are given more chance to get used with American culture which is helpful for you to gain more self-confidence. Staying at school dormitory is also at lesser cost compare to homestay because you don't have anymore traveling expenses and can focus on your study without hampering your performance at school due to long commute from home to school. It's more safe at dormitory also because you are free from any untoward accident when you go home from school and vice versa.
Cindy:
In my opinion, I think living in a college dormitory is better than staying with a family. It is free, funny, and to have more opportunities to communicate with different people, of couse, can make a lot of friends. In a dorm, something needs to be done by oneself. while we can understand others, and to know ourselves.
But it doesn`t mean that I negate homestay. To a young student, homestay is necessary. They will learn more from a family, maybe they will be cared well by this family.
In any event, whether to live in a college or to stay with a family, all of these are all our experiences not to be copied in our lives.
Cindy:
In my opinion, I think living in a college dormitory is better than staying with a family. It is free, funny, and to have more opportunities to communicate with different people, of couse, can make a lot of friends. In a dorm, something needs to be done by oneself. while we can understand others, and to know ourselves.
But it doesn`t mean that I negate homestay. To a young student, homestay is necessary. They will learn more from a family, maybe they will be cared well by this family.
In any event, whether to live in a college or to stay with a family, all of these are all our experiences not to be copied in our lives.
I consider that the best way to learn english is to stay in the enviroment in wich this language moves. In my opinion to be in a homestay is the best way to learn for several reasons:
The first reason, is because you are sharing your home with a lot of people that have other languages, so you need to talk in english if you want to comunicate.
Also your houseparents are natives, so they can help you at home if you have mistakes.
In addition, you are more safe because if you have a problem, you have someone at home that can help you.
Whatever if someone wants to learn a new language doesn´t matter if you are in a homestay or in a dormitory, you can obtain all the knowledge if you want.
AS for me, I prefer living in a college dormitory. The reasons are as follows.
Firstly, it may be difficult for us to adapt to the family's lifestyle. Don't you think it's a waste of time? Secondly, that staying with a family means losing the chance to make more friends from different classes. What's more, that staying with a family may limits our knowlege,while living in a college dormitory,we can get different views from different people and broaden our eyes.
So, don't you think living in a college dormitory is a better choice?
Zamira.
Living in the house better than in the apartment or the domitory.
In my opinion there are more advantages inthe house, but it has some disadvantages,too. Ex. more expensive, and ugually houses are fare from colleges or the univercities.
I requested searching apartment in U.S.A. That person searched some apartment, told me the information. I chose one apartment, I’m living now. I’ll live until at April in next year. That time I’m searching best apartment.
I live in a rental apartement. i have 3 roomates. Now, I’m unable to communicate with each other because of my language skill. But I know they have good personality.
In the future, I make use this site, I can smoothly conversation in English.
In my opinion, if I choose the thing, I choose living in a college dormitory.
There are many college students who are many county people. So, it is that ESL students achieve more good chance learning English. Because they are same college and have many common interested points. So, they have a good chance to speak English.
In my opinion, I think homestay is better, but, it depends on the host of the family. I have ever lived in New Zealand. The experience is wonderful. So, it depends.
It is difficult for me to choose homestay or college dormitory. Because I never have experence in studying abroad.But for teenagers, I perfer to college doritories better. The main reason is to give chances for them to live independently. Of course, they can absorb the knowledge of culture, habition and English from the roomates. Also, they must learn how to share and build social nets.
Maybe parents criticize that they change bad because of peer lure. But you can ensure your children cannot become bad guys in homecountries?
Otherwise, Homestay is not a good choice. Because teenagers have capabilities to be independent. Certainly, teenagers are not raised by 'second foreign mothers'.
well, i feel that home stay is really better as, i improve my langauge that's my opinion
finally,
i feel pleased to be happy when i'm attending on this site
thanks
I didn't know exactly because I have never been that experiences. But If I have to choose one between the two, I prefer college dormitories than home stay. I think speaking & listening are
the most important thing of learning English. So, If I living in foreign country for learning English, I choose a college dorm because it can promote speaking & listening English as much as possible. Because living with native friends has more opportunities than living in home stay.
Even if native speakers feel that internationals students just want to be their friend to practice their English, a number of native speakers who think like that are very small if internationals students are fond of talking, playing, and outing with native speakers. Do you agree with me?
In my idea, I'd prefer to live in a dormitory than a host-family. It will be great if u meet kind and nice family that they don't mind you, but generally it is kin da hard to live with anothers u dont know before especially if they dont care of you. For example, they just think you are only a tenant and pay your money. You should be considerate of them when u do everything becuase it isnt your home such as bringing friends into home, eating, so on. But staying in your dormitory at least it is yr temporary own room so you can relax or do some activities without afriad of any hosts such as u can come late at night, can cook whatever u want. Moreover you will have friends as u want, u can choose them, if u dont like just stay alone.
If let me choose, I should choose dormitory. As I like freedom and equality, homestay means restrict and inequality to me - whenever and whatever you do you should think of the host's thinking and sometimes adapt to the host's habit, and you are always a guest ,the host is always a "host", unless the relationship between you and the host is like parents and children, sisters and brothers,you can exchange the thought freely,absolutly trust and tolerate each other...otherwise, I think it is not a good thing for homestay. On the contrary, in the dormitory, all of the roommate have righ equalities, you can do anything you like based on the basic principle... And I am sure the teenage who study aboard is not the majority, most of the students are adult, they have the ability to identify what they should do and not do, so it's not nessary to worry about...Aside from this, colleague dormitory will be much more safe, convenient and cheap, no trafic accident,no commute expense... and you can learn from your roomates from any country, in a word, more opportunity to communicate and speak English. Anyway, I like dormitories.
The two methods both have advantages and disadvantages. If time is allowed, I will spent half time for homestay, and half time for dormitories.
in my experience , live in dormitory is better then homestay.
I felt very uncomfortable,when I was living in homestay. maybe I think I am a guest not a "family". so I could not done any things I want to do. but my english was improve a lost when I was living in there. Regarding the dormitory, If your room-mate are different nationality that speak english is not problem. you can practice your listening (differenct country has difference pronounce) and speaking. also you could have difference country's friend. that's what I enjoy live in dormitory.
As a exchange student in a foreign country ,I think the choice of homestay and living
in a Dorm is either bad or good.But considering the question which way helps more that
means we the students can adjust quickly to the school life , learn the culture ,
mingle with the people here ,i'd say choosing to live in a dorm is a better way for
students.The reasons reasons are as follows:
First,consider the price,it is much cheaper to live in the dorm with classmates than
renting the house in the family.students are supposed to save money .
second,let's look at the enviorment.Nowadays,the homestay is no better than the dorm.
The dormitory has all the advanced equipment likeTV,Computer,bathroom and comfortable bed.
I bet you can have a really sound sleep and great fun here.because it'sou relaxing comparing
the strict rules at other's house.
third,the place you like to live depends on the relationships.we are students ,we should
communicate more with the people as the same age and have the same hobbies.It's terrible
to imagine you want to watch the sports game but the housewives addict to some boring soap operas.
haha,so let us build our own space.young people,live in the dorm.
I dream to study English in usa . and complete high study in computer science. so , i well rent a small house . it 's suitable for my family because i have two child. anther factor location .
hi everybody, that's my second time with that wonderful site, and about our topic today, I think that to stay in a dormitory is better than homestead because you will feel free without any problems, just you and your friends, so you can eat what you want.
on another hand, the practice will be on the street with the people.
and in my country (Egypt)there’s no hosting family.
Mostafa Elsawwa
Egypt
In my opinion, staying with a family is better than living in a college dormitory for university students.
Before studying in university, I spent a lot of time on my examinations and friends. After graduating, my job will occupy most of my time. It can be seen that the university life is the best time to show filial piety for my parents.
Everyone knows these sentences:
A tree desires to stand still, but wind does not stop.
A son desires to serve his parents, but they do not wait.
However, how many people can feel no regrates?
For me, living in a city is great. I don't like cottages in forests and that's just my opinion. I was born in the city and I don't mind city commune. I move by the underground. It's a very fast and comfortable. The flat I live in is verz old, but I live here since fourteen years.
Hi, Randall!
It's really a real topic what interantional students meet usually. I think there are advantages and disadvantages both in homestay and campus residence.
Let's say the homestay first. Since students live with native people, students will have more time to communicate with native speakers. This will improve students' English more quickly than living in campus. It will also help students to understand native culture more detailedly, since they are among it closely. However, homestay sometimes bring inconvenience, like be far away from the school or college. Students have to spend more time to get to the school. Sometimes, international students also cause problems ,like cannot get along well with the homestay members. Then they have to move out and seek another suitable place.
On the other hand, living in campus will save more time which is spent on the way. Nevertheless, we also shouldn't ingnore the disadvantages. Students are more likely to live with their own county students which means they speak their own language when they are together. This seldom helps practise English and get familiar with the native culture.
We cannot get the fish and bear's paw cocurrently. So just choose what suits you. I believe that's the most reasonable decision.
Personally, I'd like to live in school dormitory because I want to have my own space and a quiet surrounding without disturbance.
I think I'll feel restricted if I stay with a foreign family. First of all, living in a family, you should adjust your daily schedule to the family's. You have to wake up before the breakfast is ready and be quiet when other family members are sleeping. Furthermore, you have to be customed to the family's taste. I have a friend who live in an American family. Each time he telephone to me, he complains that he always eats snaks in his room after the meal, because he doesn't like the food the host makes.
Generally speaking, a majority of houses are far away from school so if someone live in family, perhaps she or he has to pay an extra trafic expense and spend commute time from home to school.
For the issue of improving foreign language proficiency, I think there is no difference between dorm and familystay. What's crucial is that foreign student shoudn't live someone with the same mothertone.
I had experience for both of living in college dormitoriy and at homestay. Honestly, I had some terrible memories with the family with whom i'd lived for 8 months. First, i had no freedom, i couldn't make noise after 9 pm ( so i didn't watch TV at night => then improvement in English??? ) and i couldn't cook and eat what i like ( but it's not very important). Plus, it was out of question to have friends at home, that why i didn't make many fiends that time and it made me terribly sad and boring, especially for who living aboad, have fun is really indispensable when your family is not around! Next, the family didn't care about me but my money, they rarely talked with me, they talked with each other at the time of dinner but not me. They're the worst! Then, it couldn't be help and i moved out after 8 months of nightmares!
It depends clearly on how the family you live with but i definitely not recommend the homestay (unless for the minors, it's a must)
And the advantage of living in a college dormitory, everyone talked about. It's the best way to make friends, to improve your English skill and to talk about your country and others one. There're anyway some disadvantages. According to my experience, if in the dormitory where you live has a lot of students who come from your country, it can't be help, you'd have tendancy to regroup and speak your native language all the time! And this would be avoid if you want to improve your English skill.
There are some of my opinion about homestay and college dormitories and i would like to hear your opinion.
Cheers
i thinl that to live a house is the better opcion, a house is very confortable, ample, have many places where you can to stay... i like so much the houses, the apparments are very small for my likes
I think the same of the last april 22, 2009 (anonymous) said. I never stayed out of my country by studying English or other languages, but I think in dormitories students will talk with others within the original languages they come from. And, this is not adequate.
I amnot an international student. But I would like to give some of my opinions. If I had to choose between staying in a homestay and a dormitory, I would rather choose the dormitory. It will be more convinient not only for your studying but also your living. Living in a dorm can help you make friends easier so that you can improve either your Emglish or your awareness of life. Futhermore, when you have some hard problems which you cannot solve on your own, you can ask for your mates' solutions. And it will be more easy for you to join a self-studied group in which you can discuss and exchange your study experiences.
But everything has weakness. Staying in a dorm takes away your discipline. Because you are accustomed to live without supervising, you sometimes can control yourself from a lot of traps. If you are a person who cannot set up the rules for yourself, you had better live in a homestay.
In summary, both has their own strengths and weaknesses. Which is better still depends on what kinds of person you are. If you are a self-discipline person, you should choose the way living in a dormitory. otherwise, you had better live in a homestay.
In my oponin,home stay is not a good place for learning English,because I lived in home stay for four months. Living in home stay means you will lose freedom and friends.
in my oponion, home stay is bad choice for students,unless you are a young children.
Hi everybody, In my opinion, there are several reasons that make me likes living at apartment than staying with a family. First, i think that i am protected by the guarder. Second, i can share room with my roommates. Sometimes i can go home late when i go out to eat dinner, or go to movies with foreign students. Finally, i can unwind by swimming pool, gym room....
hey everybody,
i am not an international student but i would like to share my personal opinions on this topic. accomodation is one of the most important issues that students are faced with. living in dorms or staying with families are options but the main problem is which one is better for you. At this point, character and personality become more important. If you are someone who likes to be stable, it is more ok for you to live with a family but if you like spending much time with your friends and being active, you should choose to stay in dorms. It depends on you. People should try to make sound decisions all their lives by understanding their nature and pondering on it.
In my opinion, the important thisgs are: security, cleanness and localizantion. I think that to stay with a family is very interesting, but the hause need to se near of university. I feel insurence because this families are registered in cadastre.
Post a Comment