Living alone in a large city like Paris can be lonely. Students have a daily opportunity to speak French with the family. A frequent complaint of students living alone is that they do not speak enough French with French people. Living with a family is an opportunity to learn about a different culture. Homestays can lead to long-lasting relationships, new friendships, and at the very least, interesting conversation.
Students are able to eat healthy, nourishing meals and to sample French cuisine.
While living with a family requires adapting to someone else's lifestyle and being considerate and thoughtful, the rewards are considerable and the sacrifices involved are well worth it, especially for a short period of time of 4 - 5 months. Families may be located either in the city or in the near suburbs on the city's southwest side. Each family is unique in its lifestyle, size, and living standards. While none of the families treat students as adopted children, some will provide significant integration while others offer more independence. All families choose to receive students and share their meals and live with them because they enjoy the contact.