It’s widely known that learning a language in its country of origin gives the best opportunity to absorb it more quickly. And while this can be true because you’re surrounded by people speaking the language, it’s not enough to just be there. To make good progress, you have to actively make an effort to learn in a structured way.
Opting to stay with a local in their home is a great opportunity to learn and practise the language every day – this is called a ‘homestay’ trip. Some companies offer you the chance to homestay with a host family, with classroom-based lessons at a school and excursions in between. But if you want to make even faster progress, the best kind of homestay is when your local host is also a qualified language teacher.
Lingoinn’s experienced host teachers provide a warm, welcoming environment where talking and even thinking in Mandarin becomes a natural part of everyday life. Instead of travelling to a separate campus for lessons, the learning begins at home and continues through cultural activities and sightseeing trips. And – even better – you get quality one-on-one tuition with your expert host.
“The actual learning time was much longer than just two hours per day”.
– Hyomi, former Lingoinn student
Instead of being stuck in a classroom, you’ll get to have ‘class’ in real life while experiencing the country. From lessons held at home chatting about the basics, to practising while out and about in the neighbourhood with your host teacher.
For example, you can learn how to ask for directions, or ask where to find things in the grocery shops with them. Or you can discover how to order your favourite dishes at a restaurant. And you don’t have to worry about getting lost in a new city or communicating allergies and dietary requirements correctly, because you’ll have your teacher there to help you.
“I learned a lot, not only Mandarin but also the culture and how to interact with people.”
– Halima, former Lingoinn student
Because you’re not confined to a classroom, your learning time isn’t confined either. You can choose two or four hours of structured lessons per day with Lingoinn – but because you’ll be constantly using what you’re learning and hearing the language every day, Mandarin will be on your mind all the time, even without you realising it sometimes.
Of course, with the option of travelling to more than one city, you get even more exposure to the language in different settings, as well as getting a taste of different dialects. So it’s the perfect opportunity to both make your learning go further and enjoy experiencing different sides of the huge country.
It’s also the perfect way to experience a true Chinese learning lifestyle, and possibly the best way to learn Mandarin as fast as possible, as authentically as possible. And remember, the learning doesn’t have to stop after the trip: when you get back from your homestay, you can now apply the learning skills you picked up with your host teacher in China to your everyday life back home.
