How to choose a suitable host family for studying in Canada

Canada has always been a popular country for studying abroad, and the cost of studying in Canada is also relatively expensive. There are three ways for international students to stay in Canada: dormitory, family boarding and renting. Let's take a look at how to choose a host family when studying in Canada.

1. How to choose a host family

1. The original environment of the host family

Canada is the representative of a country with multi-ethnic integration, although the information you see is Canadian. However, it is possible that the parents of the host family are from countries where English is not the mother tongue or families who do not communicate in English at home. Many landlords are immigrants from Asia, Africa and Latin America, and their English is half-baked, even worse than that of international students. If you want to improve your English and integrate into the local social environment in Canada, it is recommended to choose English-speaking families.

besides language, the religious background and education level of the host family are also very important criteria. In order to avoid the inconvenience of life caused by different cultural backgrounds. Before choosing, you can look for friends or classmates with similar experiences to consult their opinions.

2. Location and facilities of the host family

When choosing a host family, transportation is also a factor to be considered. Although many host families say it is not far from the school, it is inconvenient to see the public transportation around them, because the public transportation system in Canada is not very developed, and it is very troublesome if there is no direct school bus, especially in small towns, sometimes there is only one public transportation every hour or just walking to and from school. You can use Google Maps to check the transportation convenience around your host family. So as not to cause trouble in future travel.

Host families in Canada usually provide you with a separate room, necessities and three meals. However, in order to see clearly where the rooms are located, some of them only provide basements. Besides, don't trust the pictures provided by the host family. I once met a Liezi, saying that it was an independent villa. The feeling in the photos was quite big. When I arrived at the door, I found that the size of the house might be piled up with two containers. The outer wall was covered with small pieces of wood like tiles, and the backyard was small and weeds were reborn. The room is not well lit, there is no separate bathroom and the sound insulation is not good. You can hear people's footsteps and the sound of stepping on the floor.

3. Sign a short contract instead of a long contract. Watch the content of the contract.

After finding a host who feels good, you will sign the contract. In Canada, international students sign contracts with their host families themselves, so they should be optimistic about the contents and terms of the contracts and protect their rights. It is best not to sign a long-term contract at first, but to sign a contract for one semester at first, and feel good about signing a long-term contract after one semester. In this way, if you feel that your host family doesn't meet your own requirements, you can change it in the future, and it won't have much impact. These are some suggestions for choosing a host family, hoping to help you find your satisfactory homestay and better study and live in Canada.

2. Precautions

1. Work and rest time

Most Canadians like to go to bed early and get up early. It is best for boarding students not to use the phone to chat with others after 9 pm, nor to make a loud noise when taking a shower or washing, nor to come back at midnight, so as not to affect the rest of the landlord.

2. Bathing

Generally, Canadians pay great attention to personal hygiene and take a bath very frequently. It is best for boarding students to ask about the appropriate time to take a bath after moving in, so as to avoid time conflicts or lack of hot water. Try to shorten the time when taking a bath, preferably about 1 minutes. After washing, clean the bathroom, wipe it clean with a cloth, and finally open the window for air.

3. Appropriate help

Active participation is the best performance of integrating into the family. Boarding students had better not have the idea of "I pay you for the work", but should take part in some housework properly, such as setting the table before and after meals, washing dishes and helping to clean the house.

4. Friends visiting

Under normal circumstances, friends can only be invited to visit with the consent of homestay father and mother in advance, and friends should never be invited to visit without permission, so as not to disturb the daily life of the host family, and never stay with friends in their rooms for the night.

5. Clean up the room

Generally, Canadian families will clean their homes once every Saturday or Sunday, and the whole family will clean up their rooms, dust carpets and wash clothes. At this time, boarding students should also do a comprehensive cleaning of their rooms and tidy up their belongings. Even on weekdays, don't have the phenomenon that the bedding is not folded and the room is in a mess. Keep the room clean and tidy.

6. When in Rome, do as the Romans do

If China students stay in western families, it is especially important to note that if they want to cook and stir-fry, they must ask the host's advice in advance. Because many westerners can't accept the smell of cooking fumes, China students must pay special attention to this. In addition, respect westerners' schedules and eating time. If the landlord provides breakfast for you in your accommodation contract, the landlord will usually tell you when to have breakfast. If you miss the meal time, they will take it away. Therefore, if you don't want to eat breakfast one day, you must inform the landlord in advance, so as not to waste the breakfast prepared by the landlord for you.

3. Accommodation methods for studying in Canada

1. Renting a house

Students can openly choose to rent a house, but the price, quality and transportation convenience are very different. In big cities, the rent is usually higher and it is often impossible to find a rented house. Many students share rooms to save money, and they can often find houses that meet their needs. Many schools provide off-campus rental services and provide rental materials close to the school at reasonable rent. This service center can also help find roommates who can rent a house together. Once you step into the campus, you will find all kinds of advertising posters for renting houses in nearby campuses, but it is best to make arrangements before you arrive in Canada.

2. Host families

Many Canadian families welcome foreign students. This may be an effective way to improve your English or French ability. At the same time, you can learn about daily life in Canada and make new friends. Home boarding also provides a more stable and safe environment for younger foreign students.

3. Dormitories on campus

Many schools have dormitories on or near campus. Rooms vary in quality and space, and many dormitories have kitchen, toilet, shower and laundry facilities. There are usually group rooms and individual rooms to choose from, while dormitories are usually separated for men and women. Some rooms are integrated with accommodation. Most dormitories are furnished and are conducive to participating in campus activities and getting together with classmates.