Believe it or not, host families all over the world would love to have you come live with them. Yep, they’ll give you free meals and your own private room! Plus, you’ll get some pocket money too. Why do they do it? Because the benefits to their family are priceless.

1. English Skills
One of the biggest reasons host families want to host au pairs is to improve their family’s English skills. Of course, this is most important for host families in China, France, Spain, and Italy. (Our Australian host families already speak English, so this isn’t a huge pull in Australia. However, Australian families with young kids can still want their kids to improve English skills as a first language.) Helping their kids improve English skills is an immeasurable gift. Although many of these countries offer English classes in school, one drawback is the lack of listening to native speakers. When a child hears English from a native speaker, they improve their English fluency.

2. The Cost is So Affordable
Another reason families want to host you in their home is because the cost for the family is unbeatable. Hosting you is not free for a host family. They need to buy more food, provide pocket money, and pay an agency fee. Despite these costs, in reality they are saving a lot. In return for hosting, they get:

• private tutoring with English and/or homework
• babysitter
• the chance to learn English
• safe driver (usually in Australia)

If the host family was to hire a person to do these different jobs, it would cost a lot more!

3. Natural Corrections
When children learn to speak a language, they will naturally make mistakes both grammatical and in their spelling. But when kids learn with YOU, a native or advanced English speaker, they have the opportunity to be corrected in a natural way. Instead of pointing out the wrong phrase or word, you can simply repeat the child’s sentence in the correct way, reinforcing the correct grammar in the child’s mind.

4. You’re a Fun Friend
It’s no secret that kids need attention and love. Parents want to give their kids attention and love from another safe adult while they’re working. Your host parents want their children to have a positive experience with English. They want their kids to be happy, safe, and excited to speak a new language. Not only will it be more fun for you and the kids, but having fun will also help them retain the information that they learn.

5. Learn About Another Culture
When children learn another language, they will also learn more about that culture. So many families understand the value of learning about another culture. But it can be difficult and expensive to travel with kids to another country with a different culture. Parents know that meeting someone from another culture can help their kids understand people of other nationalities and enlarge their perspectives about the world around them.

6. More Work-Life Balance
It can be hard to be a working parent these days. Hosting someone can make it easier to be present. It helps because there is someone who has designated time to spend with the kids. This makes it easier to work during work and spend time with the family during free time.

7. Full Immersion In Person
More and more, people are learning online. However, in-person interactions are always better for learning and retaining a language. Plus, when a family hosts you in their home, their children can be learning not only during a class time, but the whole time that you are there.

8. Safety of Your Own Home
Another reason host families like to host our Travelers is because they love the feeling of trust that comes from having these experiences in the safety of their own home. Although experiences such as travel or studying abroad are helpful and good in their own timing, they can be expensive and less safe than hosting someone from that country.