Host Family Language Learning

[azul]

Hello, all!

I was wondering if anyone has experienced living in another country with a host family who speaks a different language, and if you could offer me some advice for how to best approach language learning in this situation. Thanks!

[Rotasu]

Which language?

[azul]

Well, I'm going to be living with a Russian host family, but I'm interested in hearing about experience with any language.

[galaxyrocker]

The biggest piece of advice I can give you, having done it twice with Irish, is to use the language with them, and make sure to tell them to correct you. My biggest issue was that there were learners of various levels, but I asked the bean an tí and fear an tí to use only Irish with me when they could, and it certainly helped. I also had them correct anything I said wrong, or not naturally enough (because I was focused on picking up the dialect).

[sfuqua]

The only experience I had with living with a host family was during my Peace Corps training and service in Samoa. It undoubtedly was an important part of my learning, but I didn't find it very useful by itself. I found it a good place to practice what I was learning during formal instruction. I didn't learn very much when I wasn't studying formally.

[azul]

The only experience I had with living with a host family was during my Peace Corps training and service in Samoa. It undoubtedly was an important part of my learning, but I didn't find it very useful by itself. I found it a good place to practice what I was learning during formal instruction. I didn't learn very much when I wasn't studying formally.

That makes sense. When I've conversed with native speakers on a regular basis in the past, it was always a helpful way to use what I had just learned that day and to reinforce words that I would recognize native speakers saying.

Thank you all for your insightful responses!