GUIDELINES
FOR HOMESTAY
BECOMING
ONE OF THE FAMILY MEMBER
When you participate
in homestay program, you will not be treated as a guest. You
will eat meals as one of the family, play with the children
- even help with the housework.
A wide range of age groups participate in the homestay program;
families with babies, youths, university students, company
workers as well as seniors.
Let your family know what you would
like to do or gain through your homestay. Work out your schedule
together. Of course, if you don't have anything special in
mind, that is Okay too. Generally we feel a homestay is quite
different from sight-seeing trip or stay in a hotel. Please
try to communicate with your host family and remember to be
flexible. (You will received your host family profile prior
two to three week before your departure date, so you will
have ample of time to think on what to buy for them and prepare
what you what to do over there.)
AT
THE BEGINNING OF THE PROGRAM
- Your host
family information will be sent to your address or via
email between 2 to 3 weeks before your departure date.
If you are going to travel in oversea or locally during
this period, please inform TITAN PLANET in advance where
to send your host family information.
- The host families
are eagerly waiting for your arrival. We recommend that
you write or email to them as soon as you receive their
information file.
- We also recommend
that you bring some token of appreciation for your host
family. They would be delighted to receive something from
your country.
- Appropriate
medicines if you tend to get car sick, etc.
THE
FOLLOWING IS A SUGGESTION FOR YOU ON WHAT TO DO AND PREPARE
BEFORE YOUR HOMESTAY:
-
Prepare one or two local or their native language song
to sing for them
-
Bring and show an album with pictures of your home, family
and country (postcard)
-
Cook
specialty from your home country- It's a great way to
warm your host family heart
-
Introduce
a games you often play at your home or country
-
Introduce
your host family to your country national costume
-
You
can buy them handicraft made in your home country
-
Take
it easy and enjoy everyday life
-
Etc...
WHO
ARE THE HOST FAMILIES:
1. Retired couples;
2. Families with young children;
3. Families with grandparent;
4. Married couples who has spare room.
(all of the families are warm and friendly)
HOMESTAY MAIN ACTIVITIES:
This program provides 3 main activities,
some are compulsory, and others are optional. Please join as
many optional activities as you can.
HOMESTAY (Compulsory)
Home stay is not cheap accommodation.
Please try to communicate with your host family and help their
daily routine. This will enable you to be easily accepted as
a family member and to adapt yourself to a new life style sooner.
Make sure of your host family's rules and schedule as soon as
possible and try to adapt yourself to them. Whose host families
are company employees, public servants, etc., can always help
their household work such as doing the dishes, cleaning, weeding
the garden, etc. Please ask your host family what you can do
to help. If your host family is engaged in farming, fishing
or manufacturing, you can work side-by-side with them. If necessary,
please bring suitable working clothes and shoes.
REGIONAL EVENTS (Optional)
You will have exchange opportunities unique
to his or her host town. These activities are designed not only
for you and your host families, but also for other people in
the region in order to extend the sphere of exchange. There
are a variety of chances; participation in sports festivals,
summer festivals, and discussions with local people concerning
cultural, historical, and economic topics.
SCHOOL VISITS (Optional)
The school visits to elementary, junior
high, or high school is an opportunity to speak with students
about a wide range of subjects. The young students are eager
to learn about other countries and the world in general. Many
schools have tried various kinds of activities to help students
have deeper understanding and more holistic perspective of the
world. Therefore please join school visits and convey your own
ideas and opinions to these young minds. They will appreciate
your cooperation. Prior arrangement
with host family pertaining to school visit is recommended.
Tell your host parent that you would like to visit your host
brother/sister’s school in advance.
WIDENING THE CIRCLE OF PEOPLE
AND LANGUAGES THROUGH THE HOMESTAY PROGRAM
To encounter a language, you need to meet
people who speak that language. To meet those needs, the homestay
program allows people to spend time in the homes of families
all over the world. The meeting between people of different
countries and languages produces an experience which truly transnational
and unlike that of any sightseeing trip.
PLEASE CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING
POINTS BEFORE YOU VISIT
There are many styles of exchange. Please
be sure to prepare materials from your country before visiting.
Visual aids are particularly effective, such as maps, books,
native clothing, photos, videos, stamps, etc.
Explaining your country's fairly tales, nursery rhymes, children's
songs, or games will be a successful activity.
We encourage you to consult teachers in your schools or institutions
about your plan before departure.
DO'S
AND DON'TS
Many volunteers run this exchange program.
Your full cooperation is required to make it successful. Please
keep in mind the following things and prepare beforehand.
IN
GENERAL:
1.
This program is not for sightseeing
You must stay in your
assigned town for the duration of the program. Please refrain
from willful or selfish behavior such as taking trips on your
own, asking your host family to take you places, etc. When
you go out, you should let your host family know in advance.
Participants who fail to understand the purpose of this program
will be expelled. In such a case, the participants will not
receive a refund for any fees paid to TITAN PLANET and will
be responsible for any additional costs incurred for lodging
and transportation.
2.
Host families are all volunteers
TITAN PLANET and the
International organisation does not offer financial assistance
to your host family. Please do your best not to be a financial
burden on them.
3.
Do not compare your host family with other host families
Please understand every
host family is different. Please try to make efforts to adapt
yourself to your host family's rules and schedule. Your effort
will enable you to be accepted as a member of the family and
have enjoyable days with them.
4.
Driving a car or motorbike is prohibited
It is prohibited to
travel from your town to city by car or motorbike to participate
in this program. Also DO NOT drive a car or motorbike during
the program even if you have a International driver's license.
TITAN PLANET and the International Organisation will bear
no responsibility if you have an accident.
5.
About telephone calls
When you use Local Phone
call and Internet, you should ask permission first, and pay
your host families for all expenses. Please try to make it
brief.
OTHERS
- The schedule
may change due to host families availability, flight and
other cases concern your departure.
- If you get
sick, get hurt, or involved in an accident during the program;
please contact either the person in charge like: host family
or TITAN PLANET leader who follow the program or else local
office.
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