Hi there, it is Christine the Accommodation Officer at Langports Brisbane to tell you about the Homestay experience.
I sometimes say I could write a book about Homestay experiences, because I was a Homestay mum for Langports for six years before I joined the school.
My family loved welcoming students and meeting people with different ideas from all over the world. It was always interesting to share our differences regarding food, culture and way of living.
We have had the opportunity to try some of the most amazing food as the students were often very happy to demonstrate their favourite dishes and cooking ability (sometimes via mum back home Skyping instructions as they go). Our first Homestay student from Japan introduced us to ‘nato’ (fermented soy beans) which didn’t smell great but tasted good. He told us after we ate it that he was forbidden by his girlfriend to eat it before he came to see her! Another memorable Homestay was with a lovely Swiss-Italian couple. They would regularly make us lasagne and tiramisu as he worked in his dad’s restaurant. So delicious!
I always found the students were more than happy to interact with my two children. I often said that it didn’t matter what age they were, the students always ended up on the trampoline out the back at some point or playing cards or ‘nerf guns’. And that’s what the Langports Homestay experience is about: a home away from home. 
It was always lovely to watch people who lived in places where it was not usual to have a pet, getting to know my two little dogs. As soon as the student sat on the lounge, they would have my dogs beside them begging for a pat.
But being a Langports Homestay family also means providing support and help when students need it. We really want them to feel like they are part of the family and that they can rely on us.
Being a Homestay Student is really is a great opportunity. It is the best way for a student to be immersed in the English language and get to know Australian culture.