Guide for Hosts

Host Guide:
Welcome to the CHI host program. This
guide for host families has been prepared with
the counsel and insight of hosts like you – and
students like yours – over more than ten years
of working with international students in
communities across Canada. We hope it will
answer many of your questions—and if it
doesn’t, we hope you’ll tell us.
The Homestay Experience
Every year, Canada Homestay International
welcomes thousands of high school and mature
students from around the world to Canada. They
range in age from 10 to 60 years old. Their studies
last anywhere from a single week to a whole year,
at public schools, community colleges, universities
and private language centers; their schools are
located in small towns and large cities across the
country.
Our students want to experience life as part of a
Canadian family—to learn English in a caring
environment, to have a home away from home. Our
hosts are excited to welcome someone new into
their lives. They want to learn about another
culture—and to see their own culture in a new
light—through a foreign visitor’s eyes.
What makes a great homestay?
- A sensitive and patient family.
It can be overwhelming for a student to be so far
away from home. A thoughtful host family
appreciates that each student is unique, and that
communication and mutual understanding take
effort. Some students may be outgoing and
independent; others may participate more actively
in your family life. Either way, a kind host treats
the student like one of the family, keeping the lines
of communication open.
The Homestay Experience _______________________1
What makes a great homestay? ________________1
What to Expect ______________________________2
Getting Settled ________________________________2
A Tour of Your House _________________________2
A Tour of the Neighborhood & Local Transit _______2
Household Rules _______________________________3
Household Rules and Customs __________________3
Pocket Money & Valuables ____________________3
Telephone & Internet _________________________3
Visitors & Travel _____________________________4
Sharing Your Life ______________________________4
Meals _____________________________________4
Conversation _______________________________5
Using English Day-to-Day ______________________5
Keeping Language Practice Fresh ________________5
Techniques for Mutual Understanding ___________5
Common Challenges ____________________________6
Communication & Happy Compromise ___________6
Persistent Problems __________________________6
Why Would a Student Be Moved? _______________6
Medical Emergencies ___________________________7
Final Thoughts ________________________________7
A Host's Perspective ____________________________8
CHI Contact Information _______________________10
Our hosts are interested in sharing their lifestyle in
a positive and mutually rewarding way. When you
accept a student, your role as a host family is to
welcome the student as a new member of the
family.
We do not accept hosts who are interested in
money alone. These motives are obvious to
students, and interfere with the intended homestay
experience: a safe, secure, welcoming environment
to learn and grow in. Furthermore, hosts who take
students solely for income seldom enjoy the
hosting process. We want this to be a fun learning
experience for everyone involved.
© 2011 CHI/CANADA HOMESTAY INTERNATIONAL 1

Having an international student in your home
takes time, patience, and a willingness to share.
There are many differences to overcome, both
cultural and personal—but learning about these
differences and celebrating them is part of the joy
of welcoming someone into your home—and, in
many cases, making a new friend for life. So, be
yourself and have fun!
What to Expect
Besides providing meals, a host has a significant
role in the successful development of a student’s
English skills. It is very important that students be
included in family activities, outings, discussions,
and so on. This makes the students feel like part of
the family at the same time as it exposes them to
English in a natural environment.
You may find the students somewhat shy at first. If
you find them spending a lot of time alone, try to
organize an activity to do together like shopping,
cooking dinner, or walking the dog.
You will notice certain cultural differences. When
you do, please be as gentle and understanding as
possible, keeping in mind that there are often no
right or wrong ways of doing something, only
different ways. Of course, each culture has its own
norms and social etiquette. If you notice your
student doing something unacceptable in terms of
Canadian culture or social etiquette, please let
them know in a kind and helpful way.
Getting Settled
Upon arrival, introduce the student to all members
of your family. Repeat the names so they can
remember. Make sure they have your address and
phone numbers (home and work) on a sheet of
paper—they should keep this with them at all
times. Then show them around.
A Tour of Your House
Please give the student a tour of your house and
show them where everything is, with special care
to show them the essentials, including their
bedroom and bathroom; the kitchen and dining
area; the laundry room; the linen closet (or
wherever you keep your clean linen and towels);
and so on. Please make it clear how to use:
• The washer and dryer (provide them with any
necessary supplies);
• The fire extinguisher and what to do in case of
fire;
• Appliances and entertainment, like the
dishwasher, TV, microwave, computer etc.;
• The telephone (911 should be posted by the
phone and its use explained).
Without your instructions, your student won’t
know if and how they can make themselves at
home! Your student should arrive to find their own
bed, closet space and a place for studying, as well
as clean towels and linen.
Please respect their right for privacy when they are
in their room. Always knock and announce yourself
before entering their room. Do not go into their
rooms when they are not at home without their
permission.
A Tour of the Neighborhood & Local Transit
Please ensure that your student has proper
directions to and from their school and to any local
attractions or meeting place, if they going out with
friends or on a school outing.
Please show your student the route to and from
your home to their school, before they start classes
on the first day of school. Many hosts give their
students a note of the bus number and route; you
might also let them know how to use a public
telephone and to dial 911, in the event of a
personal emergency. If you are unable to show
your student to their school before their first day
and cannot arrange anyone else to help, please
contact CHI for assistance.
© 2011 CHI/CANADA HOMESTAY INTERNATIONAL 2

If your student is part of a short-stay group, you
may be required to drive (or accompany them by
bus) to and from school. Your CHI representative
will discuss this with you.
Household Rules
All of the rules or guidelines that apply to your
family members will also apply to your student.
You set the curfew, dinner times, etc.—life should
go on as usual with your new guest. It is often
beneficial to have a full family meeting to go over
the house rules at the beginning of each student’s
stay.
For students under the age of majority, we ask that
you uphold the following rules in addition to your
household customs:
• All students are expected to be home on or before
6:00 p.m. for dinner on school nights.
• Students must observe weekend curfews (Friday
and Saturday). Earlier times may be set, however,
depending on circumstances:
• Grades 6 – 8: 9:30 p.m.
• Grade 9: 10:00 p.m.
• Grade 10: 11:00 p.m.
• Grade 11: 11:30 p.m.
• Grade 12: 12:00 a.m.
• No smoking or purchasing of cigarettes
• No drinking
• No driving or owning of motorized vehicles
Each host must ensure that their students
understand and respect their house rules and
guidelines. If you are having difficulty doing so,
please contact us for assistance.
Household Routines and Customs
As soon as you feel it is appropriate, please explain
your household routines. These include:
• habits and preferences concerning baths and
showers (bathroom etiquette is sometimes very
different elsewhere in the world);
• keeping their bedroom and bathroom tidy;
• assisting with daily chores (cooking, dishes);
• where food can or cannot be eaten;
• doing laundry;
• curfew for your children (if any);
• your smoking (or non-smoking) policy;
• limits on the television/stereo/VCR and the use
of other family property;
• family schedules, including bedtime hours; and
• notifying family of whereabouts and guests etc.
Please advise them if there is something that you
would prefer to keep “off limits”.
Pocket Money & Valuables
While many students are experienced travelers
who are savvy with money, some are not. Students
are normally advised not to bring or display a lot of
cash. If your student does bring a large sum of
cash, please encourage them to turn it into
traveler’s cheques to minimize the risk of theft.
Please remind them that they will need their
passports to cash traveler’s cheques and, in some
cases, in order to get an advance on the their Credit
Card from a bank teller.
If the student is here for a long stay, we
recommend that you please help them to set up a
bank account at your local bank. Please do not
make loans to your student. Please notify CHI if
you sense that your student is short of funds; we
will contact their parents about their finances.
Please make sure your students put their valuables
(eg. passport) in a safe place. It is a good idea to
make a photocopy of important documents
(passport, insurance papers and traveler’s
cheques).
Telephone & Internet
Please provide reasonable use of the phone for
local calls. To avoid any complications over
payment, it is quite reasonable to expect your
students to purchase a calling card for long
distance calls. These offer great value and are
widely available in convenience stores.
© 2011 CHI/CANADA HOMESTAY INTERNATIONAL 3

Your students will expect internet access in the
home, and all students are expected to bring their
own computers. There is no extra fee charged to
them or paid to the host family for internet service.
Many students bring their own computers and
some will be quite savvy computer users. CHI
discourages students from using their hosts’
computers. If you decide to let your student use
your home computer or provide them with access
to the internet, please tell your student the
guidelines that you have established for its use,
including any restrictions that affect your children
(to certain sites or times, for example), and the
time available to the student, during the day or
night and for how long.
CHI advises hosts to monitor the kind of activity
your student engages in online, and to discuss
online habits together. Downloading movies,
watching television online, chatting with friends,
and playing video games can all be done safely,
legally and may offer benefits in healthy
moderation. However, each of these activities can
also create headaches for students and hosts alike
if approached carelessly. For more information on
potential dangers and annoyances of computer
usage, please consult your local Relationship
Manager.
Please be aware that most internet service
providers in Canada bill user accounts according to
how much bandwidth their home uses. Many of
our students come from countries where
bandwidth limits and over-usage fees do not exist.
Your internet service provider can help you
manage usage by notifying you when your account
is at a particular threshold of your allotted monthly
usage. Please contact your service provider for
more information.
Visitors & Travel
CHI recommends that students not be permitted to
have overnight visitors, with or without payment.
Students under the age of 18 are not permitted
overnight visitors or visits.
If you have to go out of town suddenly and cannot
take the student with you, please notify CHI and we
will help you to make alternate arrangements.
Also, if you are planning a family vacation and your
student is not able or invited to go, please notify
CHI as soon as you can, so alternate arrangements
can be made for that student to have somewhere to
stay while you are away.
Do not travel with your Student across the
Canadian border. Some students do not have the
necessary documentation or visas and may be
refused entry or re-entry.
Students under the age of 18 are not allowed to
travel on their own out of your town, except with
the written permission of their parents. Please
contact CHI if a student under the age of 18 wishes
to travel outside your town, even it is with their
school.
Sharing Your Life
The essence of the homestay experience is sharing
your life with your student, from meal times to
family outings.
Meals
Please prepare balanced and nutritious meals,
daily. Serve your usual fare, but please take note of
what they are eating. They may be too
embarrassed to let you know if there is something
that they don’t like! It may be hard to know what
your student likes and dislikes, but by asking
specific questions or taking them along on a
shopping trip you will learn a lot. Be sure to ask
your student if they have any food allergies or
medical conditions that you need to be aware of.
If you would like them to help themselves to food
and drink, please make sure that they understand
this and show them where they can find specific
foods, such as snack food, cereal, and so on. If you
© 2011 CHI/CANADA HOMESTAY INTERNATIONAL 4

leave them to find food themselves, they may wait
to be offered something every time.
“Comfort foods” can go a long way for world
travelers! You might want to buy your student
something familiar from home from time to time. If
you’re feeling adventurous, you might consider
asking your student to dinner at a restaurant
serving cuisine from their country. This can be a
fun evening of role-reversal: you can be the visitor
and they can be the guide.
Conversation
Not surprisingly, students are often apprehensive
and insecure about expressing themselves in
English. Please be patient, and ready for
misunderstandings!
Our students have come to Canada precisely to
become more confident and assertive in English,
and they need (and expect) to be able to practice
what they learn at school at home, with their hosts.
Using English Day-to-Day
You may find it helpful to include the student/s in
as many simple daily activities as possible, such as:
• conversation, especially at dinner;
• setting the table, meal preparation, gathering,
etc.;
• accompanying you on errands (a trip to the
grocery store is an interesting event for many
students and helps you to discover their favourite
foods);
• inviting your student to join you when exercising;
• watching TV programs that stimulate
conversation or sharing of ideas.
Keeping Language Practice Fresh
It is also helpful to encourage situations that will
include other members of the household, such as:
• share your family photo albums/videos
• play cards/board games (ask them to teach you
one)
• help students to plan their outings
• have a picnic with your student, instead of
staying in
• plan activities together and mark them on the
calendar: students like to know their family plans
to do things with them, and this method helps
ensure everyone is interested in the activity.
Techniques for Mutual Understanding
There are a few simple techniques to employ and
traps to avoid in facilitating communication with
your student:
• Encourage your students to talk about
themselves with open-ended questions like “What
sports do you enjoy?” or “Tell me about your
family.” Avoid yes/no questions.
• Avoid negative questions such as, “You don’t like
watching movies?” or “Didn’t you like the lasagna?”
• Avoid asking, “Do you understand?” Students will
ordinarily answer, “Yes” for the sake of harmony!
Instead, ask the student to tell you what they think
you are saying — as a test for you, not for them!
Begin by asking for help, saying, “Help me please;
tell me what you think I said.”
• Separate your words.
• Speak English at all times;
• Use idioms and slang, but explain them. Your
student will have their fill of grammar lessons at
school. They will often look to their host family to
learn how Canadians “really” speak.
• Speak slower, not louder, if your student doesn’t
understand. You can also try rephrasing the same
ideas using different words;
• Use charades, pointing and body language!
• Write items down for the student—often their
reading skills are better than their listening skills;
• Use Google to translate a word or phrase.
• Above all: smiles, laughter and genuine warmth
are known and understood in all cultures. You may
be surprised at how far these expressions will go in
avoiding and easing misunderstandings.
• If all else fails, please call CHI for assistance! We
have interpreters available and can arrange to get
our students extra help at school.
© 2011 CHI/CANADA HOMESTAY INTERNATIONAL 5

Common Challenges
Communication & Happy Compromise
We hope that your time spent with the student will
be very rewarding and enjoyable. There may,
however, be moments when you or they encounter
certain problems. Often, issues arise from lack of
communication, miscommunication or inability to
compromise.
If you experience any problems, please try the
following helpful process:
1. Speak with your student and your family
immediately.
Often, what appears to be a big issue really isn’t
unless it is left unattended. On the other hand, one
small incident can snowball into a very large
problem if nobody talks about it. Therefore, if you
or your student has a problem, if you are unsure
about something, if you feel that your student is
upset by something or your family is upset by
something, talk to them. Keep in mind that
everyone is interested in finding an amicable
solution, and that most problems arise because of
assumptions and lack of dialogue.
2. Call CHI.
If the problem cannot be resolved by speaking with
the student and your family, please DO NOT have
them call their parents or their Agent to complain.
Instead, we encourage you to take advantage of the
strongest homestay support network in Canada,
and call CHI for assistance. You may also wish to
have your student call us as well.
We ask this because we have a lot of experience in
helping hosts and students. We want to help and
can only do so if we are aware of the situation.
By contacting CHI, you are able provide us with
you’re your perspective directly, which is
preferable to second or third-hand information.
When you talk to one of us at CHI, we can arrange
to meet and to talk about the problem in person, if
you prefer. We can then work out a solution
together, one that is to everyone’s satisfaction.
Persistent Problems
Although it is unusual, it is possible that you may
wish us to relocate your student, or that your
student may wish to be relocated as a result of
persistent problems or conflict. In such cases, we
will offer to help see if a solution can be found, and
we will ask to hear your perspective on things, but
we will never dispute your request to remove the
student. When a relocation is requested, we work
quickly to find an alternative homestay
Why Would a Student Be Moved?
CHI is committed to the health, safety, and
happiness of our hosts and our students. We are
objective arbiters when conflicts arise. After you
and your student have had the chance to talk about
our concerns with each other and have been
reminded of the consequences, a student may be
relocated from your home (and may even be sent
back to his or her home country) if he or she is
disrespectful toward you or your family or refuses
to abide by your rules, or behaves in a manner
inconsistent with our program standards.
By the same token, we will relocate a student from
your home if you or any of your family members:
• Fails consistently to provide adequate and/or
healthy food;
• Neglects the student, by failing to include them in
suitable family activities, or by failing to pursue
constructive communication and conversation
with the student;
• Willfully disrespects the student, either through
lack of consideration or insensitivity toward the
student’s feelings and/or culture;
• Fails to provide a clean and adequately
maintained physical environment;
© 2011 CHI/CANADA HOMESTAY INTERNATIONAL 6

• Are in unresolved personality conflicts, as a
family or with your students;
• Steals your student’s property; or
• Harasses your student in any way: verbally,
emotionally, physically, or sexually.
In a typical year more than 90% of our students
rate their homestays as satisfactory or better;
many say they love their hosts and don’t want to go
home! Of the less than 10% who request a move,
most have allergies or food restrictions they failed
to tell us about. Of the fraction of students moved
for personal reasons, less than 1% requests a
second change.
Medical Emergencies
All students have their own medical coverage; just
to make sure they are prepared for any emergency,
please ask to see their insurance policies and cards.
If they don’t have, or are unaware of their medical
insurance please notify CHI immediately.
In case of a medical emergency, please react as you
would with your own children or friends. After you
take whatever immediate action you consider
appropriate (including calling 911), please call the
CHI Emergency Line listed at the end of this Guide.
We have experience and training in handling
emergencies, and we will be there for you!
Final Thoughts
Almost every difficulty we ever face in homestay has something to do with communication. It all comes
down to a simple problem: in the first weeks of a homestay (and sometimes longer), your students will
ordinarily find it very hard to express themselves—and to understand you—even when it comes to simple
wants and needs (and feelings).
This may cause a student (and us) to feel defensive, vulnerable, incompetent, or frustrated. These feelings
can all be compounded by a student’s limited vocabulary—a student may, without meaning to, sound blunt,
stubborn, insensitive, or selfish. Worse yet, the student might not want to say anything at all.
Here are some things to keep in mind:
• The hardest thing for students from some cultures to do is to complain. If your student doesn’t feel
comfortable expressing herself, she’ll be reluctant to bother you. She may say things are “fine” rather than
risk insulting you. Make things easier by being patient and being as precise as possible. Ask specific
questions in order to identify problems and concerns, about everything from laundry to dinner.
• Sophisticated speech is part of being well mannered, and it is exactly this sophistication that your student
is here to pursue. Be patient if they’re not there yet.
• Quiet behavior does not mean that they are not enjoying the experience, talk to them and see how they’re
doing;
•Most students experience some degree of culture shock and homesickness, and it often does not set in until
a few weeks into their travels. Each person is different, so there is no panacea. Be understanding.
© 2011 CHI/CANADA HOMESTAY INTERNATIONAL 7

A Host’s Perspective
“Our biggest resource is you. The CHI host network
offers all of us invaluable insights into how we can
get the most out of the adventure we’ve all signed up
for—what this host calls “meeting the world in your
own home, one person at a time.”
~ The CHI Team
At the end of the day, being a good host means making your guest feel at home. This
requires thoughtfulness and empathy. We always say that homestay is about treating
our visitors in the way we would want our own family members to be treated.
But a warm welcome is only the beginning. Your guests won’t “feel at home” just
because you invite them to. Everything that “goes without saying” between Canadians
has to be spoken about—indeed, good hosting means good communicating:
communicating warmth, communicating interest and communicating information. Here
are some thoughts about each of these ways of being in touch with your visitor.
On sharing…
Show an interest in their country and culture. If you communicate warm and sincere interest it
will encourage them to share information about the people and things they know—their
families, their local customs, their interests. You can learn all sorts of things!
Share your country and culture with them. They will be interested! Ask if there is anything
special they want to do or see... And then ask them again later; they may have heard or read
about something neat in school. If you don’t have children at home, invite the children of friends
or family over for a visit. Include your visitor in family occasions. Take them out to community
events that you would normally attend. Remember that even a walk around the neighborhood
or a drive around the city will fill their eyes with sights they may never have seen before and
will help them understand how Canada fits together and how our communities work.
On private time…
Include them in your life but expect them to want some time alone. A new language
environment is exhausting, even for the most motivated and resilient student.
Continued…
© 2011 CHI/CANADA HOMESTAY INTERNATIONAL 8

A Host’s Perspective Continued
On staying connected…
Develop the habit of reviewing plans (yours and theirs) daily, if necessary, and establish when
everyone is expected to return home. Emphasize the importance of calling home to alert the
family to any changes in the plan. And lead by example. This practice is rooted in consideration
for others—but it’s also about personal safety.
And before your visitor sets off on their own across town, make sure they’ve got a card with
your name, address and phone number(s) on it—as well as directions home, with your subway
and bus route and stop names and numbers. This will help them or anyone else who tries to
help them if they lose their way.
On food…
If your visitor is here for a short time, they’ll probably want to try everything you’re eating
and will be able to cope with it for a month or so. But some visitors have real difficulty
adjusting to our diet and style of cooking, and the longer the stay, the more they’ll miss
elements of their own cuisine.
In every city and town there are grocery stores, or at the very least sections of large
stores, that cater to every nationality. Become familiar with them and take your visitor
shopping—they’ll help you identify what they like to eat. Lunches are particularly challenging
for Asian students, for example, who do not have a
“sandwich-based” lunch cuisine. Be creative and look for alternatives, at least part of the time.
They’ll appreciate your efforts.
Check occasionally to see that your visitor is getting enough to eat. If you are not going to make
breakfast and lunches for them, make them together at first because your fridge and cupboards
will be foreign territory to them. Show them where the snacks are kept, or leave them out, and
show them how much is a serving.
On making the most of it…
If you enter into this opportunity with enthusiasm and interest, both you and your visitor will
benefit. You will gain a new perspective on your own customs and traditions and you will have a
chance to learn a little about a country you may not have visited. Hosting international visitors
is like meeting the world in your own home, one person at a time.
© 2011 CHI/CANADA HOMESTAY INTERNATIONAL 9

CHI Contact Information
Our regional Relationship Managers are easy to reach, toll free. The regional contacts below are further
supported by our nationwide team. Call us whenever you need to, for more details, or simply to discuss
your questions and concerns. We’re here for you!
Western Canada
Eastern Canada
Toll-Free: 1-877-441-4443 Toll-Free: 1-877-441-4443
Fax: (866) 844-9062 Fax: (416) 926-3730 or (613) 693-0878
Mail: 1031 St David Street, Victoria, BC V8S 4Y7 Mail: 573 Cole Avenue, Ottawa, ON K2A 2B4
Airdrie & Cochrane 403 456 6426 rockyview@canadahomestayinternational.com
Brockville 613-341-3029 uclc@canadahomestayinternational.com
Camrose 1-877-441-4443 brsd@canadahomestayinternational.com
Cornwall 613-937-2573 uclc@canadahomestayinternational.com
Edmonton 780-328-6479 edmontonhosts@canadahomestayinternational.com
Fredericton 1-877-441-4443 sd18@canadahomestayinternational.com
Jasper 1-877-441-4443 gypsd@canadahomestayinternational.com
Kitchener-Waterloo 519 489 7051 hostinfo@canadahomestayinternational.com
Montréal 514 907 0028 montreal@canadahomestayinternational.com
Ottawa 613-686-6764 ottawahosts@canadahomestayinternational.com
Peterborough 1-877-441-4443 trent@canadahomestayinternational.com
Red Deer 403-754-5562 rdpsd@canadahomestayinternational.com
Toronto & GTA 416-926-0355 generalinfo@canadahomestayinternational.com
Vancouver/Coquitlam 604-484-0529 coquitlam@canadahomestayinternational.com
Victoria 250-412-3813 bcgeneralinfo@canadahomestayinternational.com
Windsor 519 916 5290 wecdsb@canadahomestayinternational.com
Emergencies:
In the event of a medical emergency, first call 911. Then, or in the event of any other kind of
emergency, please call the toll-free or local number of the nearest CHI office and press “1” for our on-call
representative. Please be aware that the relationship manager you reach may not be in your local area.
On rare occasions, an emergency call will go to voicemail. Please leave a message with your name, the
name and the nationality of your student, and a number where we can reach you (with the area code,
please) and we will return your call shortly.
© 2010 CHI/CANADA HOMESTAY INTERNATIONAL 10