Host Family Experience with KK
KK tells us about her great experience in a French host family.
I've been in France for 6 years and I studied French in a university in China. After graduating in 2014, I came to France.
The first year, I chose the host family which allows me to live with a French family in order to improve my level of French.
I was lucky, I found a good family. The mother of the family is a doctor and the father is a manager in a company, they have two children.
Another reason why I chose the host family was that I wanted to discover the French culture. In fact, most foreign students stay with their compatriots. Since they speak the same language, which makes communication easier. Nevertheless this does not improve French.
In this family, they welcomed me because they are all interested in the Chinese language, but their level of Chinese is not very high. They prefer that we do an exchange: they will teach me French, I will teach them Chinese and we communicate the culture between the two countries. During this year, my level of French and communication improved and I learned a lot about French culture and history.
What kind of person is advisable to choose a host family? I think it can be for everyone. For people like me who are extroverted, don't have a good level of French but hope to improve it. I strongly recommend them to host families. I'm sure you can progress quickly by speaking daily, at least you won't be afraid to talk with the French. If you are a bit shy and want to make yourself more active and optimistic, I also recommend you to participate in this program.
The good thing about this project is that it allows you to understand a country. In fact, when you arrive in a country, you not only learn the language, you also learn about its culture.
You will discover that the Chinese and the French are very different. For example, once when I was cooking hot water, the father of the host family was shocked and asked me: "Why are you drinking hot water?" I said "It is normal, I am used to drinking hot water, it is good for my health". He said he only drinks hot water when he makes tea. So, for me, there are differences between China and France even in everyday things.
In general, you can have an original experience by living in a host family. Because when you study abroad, you will not only think about homework and work, but also you can have an experience of getting along harmoniously with a French family.
Contact us if you want a host family !