The Homestay Program
Imagine how much faster a student can learn English while immersed in the language and culture, staying with a family that has been carefully selected by NISEP. Our Homestay Program offers students an opportunity to live with a Canadian family and learn more about other cultures while improving their English language skills.
By sharing life with local families, students will have a first-hand experience of Newfoundland culture and opportunities to converse in English in a family atmosphere. When placed in families with children, NISEP students often find themselves forming close relationships with their homestay siblings. These bonds often enhance their learning experience through extended social interaction and common interests – an added bonus for all!
WHAT’S INCLUDED
Homestay students will be provided with their own private, furnished room – including a bed, linens, a dresser, a desk, and towels. Students will have full use of the household, such as the telephone, television, living room and kitchen. Families will include their students in their day-to-day activities as well as cultural activities of interest to the student and the family. Students will be provided with three daily meals, including a packed lunch on school days.
HOST FAMILIES
Host families are chosen for their interest in international students and their willingness to include students in daily family life. Not only are they willing to help students experience Canadian culture, but they are also interested in learning about the culture of the student’s home country.
HOMESTAY COORDINATORS
An experienced homestay coordinator will monitor students throughout their stay and provide support to both students and host families.
Prior to placement, Homestay Coordinators will visit host families, study the student profiles, and take great care to match students with families who have mutual interests to ensure an enjoyable and enriching experience for everyone involved.
English Immersion
Through NISEP, all students will be immersed in the English Language, both at home and at school. Students will enroll in a grade-appropriate school, and learn alongside English-speaking students. NISEP students also have access to Vital English, an online self-paced learning tool. Vital English uses highly interactive courses applied to real-life situations and covers reading, writing, listening, and speaking as well as grammar and vocabulary.
When totally immersed, students are subjected to more than books and lectures alone. They will learn to communicate in English – not merely reciting poems or prose. They will learn to express their emotions and their needs. Phrases and expressions used by their peers, less rigid and more fitting, will become their speech. Most importantly, through immersion, they will learn to recognize similarities and differences between languages, thus expanding their ability and knowledge of linguistics.
Specific information about the K-12 system can be found on the website of the Department of Education of the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador.
Important Dates
Please see the below PDF documents highlighting important dates for the academic year, including student arrival and departure information, and the official school calendar provided by the Newfoundland and Labrador English School District.
NLESD School Calendar 2023-2024
NISEP Activity plan 2023-2024
NISEP Arrival and Departure Schedule 2023-2024