What do the majority of students expect of a study programme? To learn the language, to experience the culture and to make new friends. Staying with a Russian-speaking host family will help to achieve these three purposes. Why? Let’s discuss it!

Language

One of the best parts of staying with a host family is an opportunity to plunge into the language environment. A student is in a position when he has to communicate in Russian, and he acquires a good command of spoken language being unconscious of it. Besides that, a host family is not a teacher but a friend who you can talk about everything. For example, during the day you faced an unfamiliar situation, or didn’t understand anything, or couldn’t find a right word to express your ideas. Tell your host family about it. They will explain what has happened, they will also teach you how to behave in such situations, and will help with useful words and phrases. Staying with a host family is one of the best opportunities to apply into practice the language skills you acquire in class.

Culture

Culture is always a mutual exchange. Families that host students are eager to enlarge their outlook, to learn more about foreign culture, to understand it and they also are eager to share their culture. If a student has similar aspirations, staying with a host family becomes a unique source for getting acquainted with everyday culture. This experience is extremely valuable. Some students will get introduced with authentic Russian cuisine, other will enjoy the world of Russian music or cinema. Anyway, there will always be something in common that will help learn the language and culture from the inside.

New friends

Activities you do together always make people get closer and unite them. Staying with a host family you will do a lot of things together. It’s not so important what. It could be cooking Russian dishes, going to the cinema or visiting relatives. A student will always be involved into a family’s life. So their relations will move to a completely different level. Lots of students keep in touch with their host families even after the end go the programme. Is there any better way to make friends on the other side of the world?

Actually, staying with a host family is an excellent opportunity to receive a unique language experience and to learn about Russian everyday culture.

For a few years already, Learn Russian in the EU have been cooperation with about 100 host families. These families have been carefully selected and they have undergone a special training. For more detailed information about our host families and terms of staying please visit our website.

Have you or your friends ever stayed with a Russian-speaking host family? Tell us about it in the comment section!