Learning another language unlocks many advantages. We’ve covered just a few of the benefits across our blog, including how a new language could make you more employable. For our homestay students, and those learning more traditionally in a classroom environment, taking language lessons outside is of the utmost importance. Practice makes perfect, as this British Council guidance for modern language teachers explains:
“The more you learn, use and practise the language, the more accurate and fluent you become. Repetition and practice are essential to many skills, and this is especially true when learning a language. In order to consolidate classroom learning, you must repeat and revisit grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation work regularly with your students. Activities such as singing songs, filling in the missing words and memory games where they are asked to match words and pictures can be helpful.”
It’s not just classroom-based teachers who need to support students with additional practice. As a homestay host or family you must facilitate repetition and practice, but additional learning goes beyond the lesson plans you’ve so carefully devised. In this blog post, we take a closer look at how you can take your lessons outside of the home and put your guests’ language skills to the ultimate test.
Go to the movies
On an exchange holiday homestay students want to experience life as a local in as many ways as possible. As well as consolidating the immersion experience by eating, drinking, travelling, and enjoying life as locals do, you can help guests get to know the culture behind the language they’re learning. Catching a movie at a local cinema is an excellent way to use media and culture in the language learning experience, so head out for a field trip and catch the latest flick. Don’t forget the popcorn.
Enjoy a meal out
Visiting places like bars and restaurants is another way to showcase your culture to homestay guests. It also provides a vital opportunity for those learning with you to go out and speak the language. The effects of foreign language anxiety are well documented in classroom environments but fear of speaking, reading and writing in a new language also impacts homestay students. Help your guests overcome intimidation and beat the fear by supporting practices in public settings like restaurants so they can evolve into confident speakers.
Restaurants aren’t the only public places that should be on your hit list to visit. Shops and local attractions, such as museums and markets, provide excellent opportunities for interactions with other native speakers. Keep an eye out for local events to attend with your guests and make practice possible within your community.
Visit the local library
Reading in a new language provides one of the best ways to improve speaking, reading and writing skills. A fact that makes a visit to your local library an excellent part of your homestay itinerary. Many libraries also feature other multimedia to explore, meaning you can expose your students to a variety of different texts in numerous formats all in the local language.
Interested in becoming a homestay host or family and putting the plans above into practice? Sign up to Lingoo today to get started.
