Spring has definitely arrived in the UK. Blossom can be seen everywhere on branch and bough – even if the jet stream keeps returning winter blasts of chilled air every second week at the minute! The Spring and Summer months tend to be also a budding time for international students to appear as English Language courses begin.
Hosts of homestay accommodation in university towns around the UK always look forward to welcoming their own steady jet stream of young guests right through the academic year as short courses start and finish. Students from overseas can generally learn English here in the UK on a full-time course, September through to July or on a part-time course, which usually lasts around 12 weeks. There are also the ever popular summer schools during the ‘holiday’ months of July and August.
It’s the young international students, often aged 18 years and under – and on short courses such as English Language – who may be said to also blossom in their new found independence living away from home for the first time in a hosted accommodation. The numbers for “short-term” students speak for themselves…
There were 295,000 short-term student admissions to the UK in the year ending June 2016, and the number of short-term student visas granted rose by 39 per cent to 87,197 in the same year, according to GOV.UK. A visa is granted for a maximum of 6 months where required or, in a very small number of cases, for 11 months if studying a longer English language course.
But how the time flies! It’s probably the single most important reason why young internationals students on part time or short English language courses soon discover the practical value of booking a hosted homestay accommodation. In the few short months a course lasts, it’s just so easy!
It’s almost like being on a long holiday at a hotel
Your breakfast and evening meal is prepared for you every day, and there’s even lunch time sandwiches on selected meal plans. You even get to have your weekly laundry done. In other words, it’s almost like being on a long holiday at a hotel. But not quite! You still have to keep your room tidy and use the bathroom / shower at the right time – and don’t forget to tell your host if you think you might be late coming home after college!
The practical as well as the financial benefits of a hosted family accommodation are even more pronounced when compared to private renting with a landlord or estate agent. Most, if not all, operate shorthold tenancies on a minimum, fixed-term contract. Generally this is never less than six months, which will invariably exclude those students on shorter courses.
Apart from the issue of additional “admin fees” there are the problems often encountered with deposits. Despite legislation introduced in 2007 aimed at protecting a tenant, not all landlords properly comply with the requirements of their Tenants Deposit Scheme, or find reasons not to fully refund at the end of the tenancy.
A recent NUS survey reveals that three quarters of students will end up in debt just to cover deposits, letting agency fees and other initial costs just to secure a very basic accommodation. That’s apart from the cost of the weekly rent. In 2015/16, the NUS reported that the average weekly rent had risen by 18 per cent in just two years.
Students make great progress in their English speaking
One of the key bonuses for a student learning English is to be living with the host family while studying. Time and time again, students say that their ability to make great progress in their English speaking was all due to being able to practice with family members every single day. In fact, the hosts – quite a number of whom are teachers and lecturers – will often make a point of starting a discussion with their young guests at mealtimes. Hosts are often heard remarking that their students arrive barely able to speak a word of English and leave speaking fluently.
The ability to communicate and make yourself understood in a foreign language has long been recognised by behavioural scientists as a significant aid to the development of reasoning and memory. For a young student, it can also be a tremendous boost to self confidence and esteem at a crucial time in their early lives.
It’s no surprise that the underlying international cultural value of homestay accommodation is recognised through the British Council list of approved homestay accommodation hosts. Whether a course lasts 6 months , one year or more, a homestay experience provides lasting benefits for a student beyond the time they were staying with their host.