The Home Stay

"First and foremost I would like to thank you for the most amazing summer of my life. I just returned the other evening from an incredible 4 weeks in Spain. My homestay in Segovia turned out to be an unforgettable experience. Not only did my Spanish speaking skills improve but the immersion really got me used to the language itself, something that can only be achieved through a program like Rassias."

- Melanie Glass, Segovia 2002

We believe that the very best way to learn a language and a culture is to combine powerful classroom teaching with a family stay—one piece done alone leaves a gap in the learning. The home stay of all programs lasts from 18 to 21 days — enough to honestly experience another culture, but not too long. The home stay is most often remembered as the high point of a student’s trip. The immersion into the host family’s life brings the student into direct contact with his or her host country’s language and culture.

The selection of the families is undertaken with special care—good friends of ours who are residents of Tours, Arles, Gijón, Segovia, Pontevedra, and Gyalthang select the families. Then, using information gathered in our conversations with you and your family, biographical information provided by you, and your academic and personal references, we select a family that we feel best suits you. It is in the selection and overseeing of the home stay process where our small size and personal contacts come to bear most strongly. These efforts are amply rewarded during the summer and often through friendships that last long after the summer is over. "My Spanish/French /Chinese family" becomes a familiar and fond reference point as students recount their summer experiences to their own families back home.