Cultural Homestay International

I learned so much during my time abroad and had fun doing it. My host family was wonderful and I got to meet so many new people. Overall, it was a great experience and one that I would definitely recommend others try.

After spending a month teaching intermediate English to a 10-year-old girl in Tashkent, I now believe Central Asia is a very misunderstood region. I truly appreciated the opportunity to experience Uzbek culture through teaching and living with a family. Learning about their daily life, eating meals with them, and being absorbed into their routine was eye-opening because I quickly realized I felt right at home. I had forgotten what it is like to feel valued, appreciated, and respected. My family took me under their wings right away, inviting me to a wedding, visiting their family in another city, and attending cultural events with them. The only way I knew how to reciprocate was to be my relaxed and happy self. I know I have gained friends for life. I didn’t want to leave Uzbekistan and could easily have stayed one more month.

I had a wonderful experience with my Spanish host family. Living with them and becoming accustomed to their schedules and lifestyle was great cultural immersion, and I built relationships with my host family I hope to continue even after I return home. I do think that speaking the local language (in my case, Spanish), was a huge help as I was getting settled, and it let me engage more with my host family and their community. I also think the experience is very dependent on the host family you are matched with. My hosts included me in all of their activities and showed me nearby towns and attractions on the weekends, creating some of my favorite memories from my time abroad. I am grateful to have had the opportunity to participate in the World Explorer's program!

Thanks to this program I was able to go to my dream country JAPAN. I had the best experience of my life because I lived with several families and I was able to live what they do daily. Thank you so much for this opportunity.

When embarking on the program, I was not expecting this would change my life, change who I was and am. The first two weeks were transitioning period, when I was trying to learn from the family and build my own infrastructure. I was meeting other foreigners and travel around city. I was able to set up a great working schedule for the Kids. My teacher background was definitely useful. My Host family showed me around and brought their relatives. I've actively learned local culture, traditions but at a pace that would allow me to write down my journey and just enjoy being present. Food journey was particular fascinating. I participated in a few culinary classes and that was absolutely amazing Two months passed by very quickly. I became a different person and hopefully changed the kids for the better. Their English improved as well too. We became very close friends. I will definitely be coming again to visit my Host Family.

As a student of the Russian language and someone who looks for opportunities to go to Russia itself, sometimes it is hard to find programs that will indeed send you to Russia. Luckily, Cultural Homestay International is available to help with that. Through them, I was able to go to Russia for two months in two different locations which, ultimately, gave me a very well rounded experience. Furthermore, they are very open to communication and are easy to get a hold of if you need help with something. Both placements were great, I had enough money from my stipend to live and interact with the community, my accommodations were very nice, and I am already looking forward to going there next summer. Everyone I worked with was professional, and extremely helpful in helping me find my way around both towns, and with interacting in Russian. I was able to gain some friends with whom I still stay in touch. Overall, I very much enjoyed this opportunity to connect with Russians, and my Russian skills grew exponentially while there. I highly recommend this program.

I had amazing experience in Baku, Azerbaijan. I taught English to students in the age of 10-17. They were not only my students, they became my friends. This is what I appreciate in volunteering. It’s not only job but helping people to reach their goals, making friends and open you full potential.

Cultural Homestay International helped make my dream a reality. For years, I have wanted to study Russian in Russia and experience life on the other side of the planet firsthand. Heidi at CHI walked me through the entire process and was able to answer all of my many questions before departure. All of the details were worked out and everything was set. I chose to do a three-month teaching program in a small Russian city about 8 hours north of Moscow. If I could do it again right now, I would! My experience with the program was fantastic. Not only was I able to experience a new culture, but I was also able to quickly learn conversational Russian all while making lifelong friends. I taught at a language school that caters to students of all ages. My host family was incredibly hospitable and welcomed me into their home for the entire duration. I really enjoyed staying with them and we made great memories together. They took me to many different places in the region and helped me along the way with any questions I had. While it was my first time teaching, the teachers at the school were so helpful in sharing their knowledge and helping to shape me as a teacher. My last day there was a sad day but I know it will always be there for me to visit. When I wasn't teaching at the school, my host family and I were conversing in Russian and English and we were able to learn a lot in a very short time. During my free time, I took trips to Moscow and Saint Petersburg, as well as some smaller cities closer to mine. The entire trip was fantastic and I would absolutely recommend this program to anybody who is contemplating something like this. I have made so many wonderful friends and memories that I wouldn't trade for the world!

I reviewed numerous travel abroad programs before selecting CHI, as it was by far the most flexible. The CHI staff are all extremely friendly and dedicated to ensuring a good experience. Before my stay in France, and I received tons of support, travel information, and advice from CHI, and during my stay, I was in constant communications with my coordinators. I am minoring in French at my university, and really wanted to improve my speaking skills and become more fluent. This program allowed me to exchange our respective languages with my host family. In addition, CHI provides you with several English language worksheets, charts, dialogue material, and other materials that makes it quite easy to teach English. The flexibility of the program gave me the time and opportunity to explore my city (Dunkirk) and interact with the locals, as well as travel to other places in France, and in other countries. I really loved the freedom I had to improve my French, while being able to travel and explore Europe.

I visited Russia two times and it was such a awesome experience, knowing new people, new culture and language. I already know Russian language but I need more practice on it. When I read here there is an opportunity of working in Russian I got excited because teaching is one of he most exciting activities I like to do. My native language is Spanish but I can teach English, Spanish and Portuguese. I would love to help you guys with English anytime. I'm planning to make my trip to Russian this year but still don't have the specific moment.

Through the World Explorers program, I was able to travel abroad safely and at an affordable cost for my first time ever. I had an amazing time in Spain and made so many unforgettable memories. The host family I was placed with was awesome and they were always so curious about my home life, my own family traditions, and what life is like in the United States. I was able to try many delicious and new foods like squid, paella, "toast" for breakfast, freshly squeezed orange juice, sangria, and so much more. The great thing about the World Explorers program is that it is very flexible and allows so much free time. I was able to take Spanish speaking classes and make friends from all over the world. On the weekends, I took trips to different cities all throughout Spain like Malaga, Madrid, Toledo, Cordoba and also was able to travel to Portugal and Morocco through a student travel program based in Sevilla where I lived. Teaching English was very simple and stress-free, though I do recommend bringing fun games, American treats, and fun crafts or activities to do with the kids to spice things up for lessons. Overall, I would highly recommed CHI for any kind of travel and I am looking forward to traveling again through them becuase I had a very positive experience.

I chose to stay in Croatia to learn more about the country and culture as my grandfather was from there. I couldn't have asked for a more lovely family to spend a few months with living in Zagreb. They welcomed me into their home and shared their extended family and way of life with me. I was able to gain a better insight into the history and culture of this gorgeous country and lovely people. I made many new friends and was able to travel to other parts of Croatia as well.

It had long been a dream of mine to visit Russia and take in its amazing culture, language, history, and architecture. What better way to do that than engage in this volunteer program as well as experience life as a local! What I enjoyed about the program was the degree of flexibility, which allowed me to spend a lot of time on my interests and understand the place and people, as opposed to a formal work environment which would give me less time to immerse myself in the country. The teaching style was more informal and conversational-like which was quite interesting as you had to be creative to ensure they were learning and having fun, but could be a little challenging at times since you had to make your own judgements about their progress. I spent three weeks with a family in Voronezh at the beginning of my trip, a city of approximately 1 million, which gave me a good insight into Russia and allowed me to adjust to the culture, the Cyrillic writing, and the environment without being too overwhelmed. The family was very hospitable and always ensured I was comfortable as well as cooking many delicious Russian dishes for me! I then went to Sochi and stayed with an amazing family in Sochi for five weeks. Sochi was the highlight of my trip with the family treating me as their own family member. We had many engaging conversations where I learnt a lot about the country, saw beautiful nature sights of Sochi, met their extended family, and also got to participate in the World Cup fever! I also met many people from different countries and parts of Russia, and had the privilege of visiting Moscow and St. Petersburg which were also major highlights of my trip, giving me many amazing memories. Overall, the whole experience exceeded my expectations, got me out of my comfort zone, and will stay with me for a long time to come!

I was placed with a wonderful family and was afforded many unforgettable opportunities. Heidi Smith was extremely responsive to all of my concerns and questions. I could not have asked for a better experience. I highly recommend this program for its affordability and the opportunities it offers.

One month later, as I faced the predicament of if I wanted to leave the country (China) or not, I remembered how my adventure started with a shy, scared American woman who was clueless of the changes that were about to happen. It is truly amazing how much I’ve changed since the beginning of my trip to China. Beijing, the capital of mainland China, sported more stores, restaurants, markets, and Starbucks on one block than I see in an entire city in America. My host family was by the far the best part of my stay. I didn't just learn about their culture, but I shared mine and my future career goals. My host family was very supportive and encouraged me to get out and see my new surroundings. The tutoring sessions were my another favorite part of my trip as I introduced several new card games to my host family and videos that have helped me learn English in the past. My host sister loved learning new English songs and singing them in the car before school. I had plenty of free time to explore Beijing and the surrounding areas. I saw many tourist attractions with my host family and other World Travelers. China is an amazing country and anyone who wishes to go off the beaten path will find China to be worthwhile and a rewarding experience. CHI is an amazing organization to go through if you have the heart to travel and wish to share your culture, learn a new language, make new friends, and teach English.

I ventured to Italy to teach English for a few months during my gap year as I apply to medical schools. This experience helped to broaden my horizons and gave me a deeper appreciation for different cultures and the human condition. I know that this experience will aid me in my future career. Just like anything else in life, a trip with CHI will be what YOU make of it, so get out, meet new people, and enjoy this beautiful world that we've been given to explore.

Very good experience, CHI does its utmost to provide you with teaching resources, travel advice, information on the city and family and on top of that they give lots of reassurances and confidence boosts. They are very good at finding you a host family and helping you get in contact so you know what to expect from the family. They're also with you 100% of the way, not just getting you there. Wonderful group!

Through Cultural Homestay International, I got to spend one month living near the city of Heilbronn, Germany; just North of Stuttgart. The family I stayed with was very nice and accommodating, even the room they gave me was nicer than the one I have back home! While in Germany my duties were to "teach" the children English two hours a day. But because the children were only 5 and 7 years old, any traditional lessons would have bored them, making them not want to learn with me. So what I ended up doing was just playing games with the kids. We would play board games, build Legos, play in the yard, and all sorts of other activities together. By the time I left, both the parents and I could see a vast improvement in the children's English. I was also allowed to travel on my own. I spent 3 days in Berlin, where I got to meet a lot of other travelers, and even made a few new friends. I also got to see the cities of Nuremberg, Heidleburg, and of course, Stuttgart. It was an amazing journey that I cannot recommend enough!

My original plan wasn't to go to China this summer but to my surprise that's where I ended up. Using CHI was a safe, easy and affordable way to see Shanghai. While there I stayed with a very nice young family. I ate amazing Chinese food, a lot of which came from the families garden. The house was comfortable and close to public transportation. Shanghai is an international city with lots to see and do. The air quality is better then Beijing and the metro is awesome. My CHI coordinator was helpful and always available to answer any questions. I happened to be the only CHI volunteer in Shanghai so meeting with other program volunteers was not possible. That was okay I still meet some amazing people to hang out with and enjoy the sites. I spent time with my host family working on conversational English and a summer English homework packet. Along with seeing Shanghai I also visited Wei Hai ( a beach city) and Wuzhen (a water town). All in all it was an amazing summer learning about eastern culture and sharing western culture with some awesome people. I would definitely use CHI again. It's a great way to travel and see the world

In Mongolia, I ended up finding myself in an unknown country teeming with culture and tradition. I spent most of my time in the capital city of Ulaanbaator, a bustling city of over a million people. The city was very much alive and moving, as people were constantly commuting and taking part in various activities. The food may take some adjustment for westerners, but I assure you it is made by working hands and comes with some of the friendliest service in the world. I am so very glad I had the opportunity to venture off in this wonderful city. If anyone has the chance to visit, I would highly recommend it.