Host Family Guidelines

Host Family Guidelines

Host Family Accommodation Choosing accommodation in a host family is a great opportunity for students to explore and experience Irish culture and develop language skills in a natural everyday context. The goal of Host Family Accommodation is to bring the diversity of international students together with the diversity of Irish homes and families and in our experience this shared living inspires learning and very often lasting friendships. All our host families have been chosen carefully and inspected by the members of our accommodation staff and will do their very best to make sure that you feel at home. You will receive a family profile in advance of your arrival and will be informed of the family composition, including any pets. All our host families are either within walking distance or on a direct bus route or tram journey to the school. On the first morning of lessons your host will usually bring you to your school. Both school staff and your host family will be happy to assist with transport advice if you need it. Our Accommodation staff are available full time and can answer any questions you have and help you with any issues you may encounter. What is included in your accommodation booking: A comfortable bedroom that will be cleaned on a weekly basis. Bed sheets and towels will be changed once a week. Adequate storage for your clothes. Continental breakfast and dinner Monday to Sunday, plus a packed lunch on Saturday and Sunday. Fresh food, varied from day to day. No other students of the same nationality or language as yours, unless students themselves ask for sharing accommodation. A desk and chair in your bedroom or in a quiet area where you can study. Access to a fully-equipped bathroom. Laundry or access to a washing machine. Access to Wi-Fi internet connection. (you will be informed in advance if Wi-Fi is not available)

Guidelines Upon your arrival, your host family will go through some guidelines regarding your stay in their home and will advise you on how to make the most of your time with them. Please read through the following general guidelines in order to ensure an easy and relaxed stay with your host family. YOUR ROOM Your room is your own personal area for sleeping, relaxing and studying. Your host will clean your room once a week during your stay. Your bed linen will be changed once a week. If you maintain your room in a tidy condition your host will be in a position to carry out cleaning. If you wish to bring food or drink to your room it is best to check with your family in advance if they allow this. MEALS Irish food will probably be different from what you are used to. There can be a lot of meat in Irish cuisine and you will find that potatoes are an important ingredient in most meals. Italian food (pasta, pizza, etc.) is also very popular. It may be necessary for you to adapt to new flavours or ways in which food is cooked. Most families drink the tap water, which is safe and palatable. It is important that you check meal times as soon as you arrive. If these times conflict with your study schedule, discuss this with your host. Dinner for example is normally served between 6 and 6.30pm and breakfast times will depend on work schedules and may be self-service. If you cannot get home on time for a meal contact your host to advise them. They may be able to leave your dinner ready for you to reheat when you return. If there is something you cannot eat, please discuss this with your host but if you have special dietary requirements the accommodation team must be advised at the time of booking. Our host families unfortunately are unable to provide halal food, but if halal is part of your diet, your host family will have been informed of this and you can trust them to provide you with healthy food without pork or alcohol. Most host families are happy to let you use the kitchen to make tea or coffee. You should always ask your host first if you wish to take food from the kitchen or if you wish to use the kitchen. Your host will provide you with the meals booked but you can provide any further snacks you require

yourself. If you should wish to purchase extra items for yourself, please check with your host first if it is possible to keep them in the refrigerator. BATHROOM Bathrooms may be different from what you are used to in your own country. For example, it is not common for bathrooms in Ireland to have bidets. The number of bathrooms in each home will vary and you will usually have to share a bathroom with other people. It is important to be considerate and not to spend a long time bathing or showering if others are waiting to use the bathroom. In Ireland it would be typical to have one shower or bath per day. It helps to agree bathroom usage times, especially for busy times of the day in advance with your hosts. This way you can be sure to be on time for classes and other family members can get to work or school. Your host is responsible for cleaning the bathrooms, but always leave the bathroom as you would wish to find it, taking care not to leave your personal items there or the floor wet. Please keep in mind that the hot water system in Ireland is different to most countries, and hot water is usually available at set times during the day. This means that: 1. Hot water is not always available (if a couple of people have just taken a shower, the hot water has been used and time is needed for more water to be heated); 2. There is usually only a limited amount of hot water available, therefore you may be asked to take short showers or to take a shower at night instead of the morning, in order to ensure sufficient hot water for everyone in the house; 3. When the tank starts refilling after a shower or a bath, it can be rather noisy and the host family may ask you not to use the shower after 10pm, so as not to disturb other people in the house. We would ask you to be patient and show the family respect in this matter.

HEATING In winter, homes are centrally heated. Heating is normally regulated by a timer and set to go off at certain times of the day when the family is not at home and switched off at night while you sleep. Your host will always be happy to provide you with an extra blanket if necessary. It is advisable to keep a woollen cardigan or jacket handy for extra warmth in or out of the home. Irish homes are not usually air-conditioned in summer but it is rarely too hot and rooms can be cooled by opening a window. CLEANING Your host is responsible for cleaning the communal areas of the house. Domestic chores may be shared by family members including the father. You can help keep the home tidy by not leaving your belongings around and keeping your room and the bathroom tidy. Always make sure you leave the bathroom as you find it. INVITING FRIENDS/RELATIVES Inviting friends/relatives over for a visit may be possible depending on the policy of the family. Just check with them first if you would like to invite someone to their home. LAUNDRY Your host family will wash your clothes and explain the laundry arrangements but there may be items you want to wash yourself or that might need extra care. Please arrange this with your host family. Heavy items (coats, etc.) might need the care of a dry cleaner. The drying of clothes should also be done in accordance with the host family's set up, remember not every house will have an electric dryer. WIFI Although the Wi-Fi connection in most of our host families is unlimited, please be aware that you cannot download movies, music, books or other copyrighted material for legal restrictions. It is important to show consideration to the rest of the host family when Skyping or speaking on your phone, especially if there is a big time difference between Ireland and your home country. Noise levels are also important to keep in mind when listening to music etc.

VALUABLES Neither the Emerald Cultural Institute, nor your host, are responsible for your personal possessions. You are advised to take out a student insurance policy to cover you in case your belongings are lost or stolen during your stay abroad. If you have brought valuable items, such as jewellery, computers, cameras or cash with you, you are advised to ask your host if they can be stored for safekeeping. If they do not have facilities, you should keep your documents and personal belongings in a securely locked suitcase. You are not advised to keep large amounts of cash in your room or on your person. PRIVACY For reasons of privacy please ask for permission to take pictures of your host family members or house. No pictures should be posted on social media without their knowledge. SAFETY For your own safety and that of the rest of the family there are a number of hazards it is important to be aware of. These include candles, electric blankets, electric heaters, charging devises, and hair appliances. You are asked not to use candles, blankets or electric heaters at all and not to leave charging devices on soft surfaces as they can overheat. Always plug out any other appliances after use. COMMUNICATION Living with a host family can be a great learning opportunity and is an important part of your experience abroad. Communication plays an important role in ensuring a positive accommodation experience. When you leave the home for example, it is important to let the hosts know when you plan to return. Always notify the family if you will be late or if you are planning to spend the evening elsewhere. Above all, let the family know in advance if you are spending the night somewhere else as they may need to set the house alarm. Inform them about any (extended) personal travel plans as well. In the event that you are unsatisfied with some aspect of your homestay and speaking with the family has not helped, please do not hesitate to ask one of our experienced team.

Our host families are generally available to host our students during the duration of their course. Ordinarily, students leave their host family at the end of their course Please give a minimum of 2 weeks notice for any changes required to your accommodation, including cancellations, holidays and extensions. We will be happy to extend your accommodation with your host family. Please give adequate notice, so we can avoid placing another student with the family. CHANGING HOST FAMILY Students are not encouraged to change host family in the first two weeks of their stay, as it can take some time to settle in and get used to a new home. If you wish to change host family after that period, please come speak to use, keeping in mind that the normal notice period applies. TIME AWAY FROM THE HOST FAMILY When students book holidays or they're absent during their stay with the family, a reduced fee (half-rate) is charged for the retention of the room. Students should notify the school and the family of their plans at least 2 weeks in advance. Reductions are not given for absences of less than 7 days. Your Needs, Our Experience Finally, we are all here to help you to enjoy your Irish adventure. Communicate as best you can with your host family and the staff of ECI. Even if you are a beginner in English remember if you don t understand something its ok to ask again! An open attitude will help you to adjust to these differences and integrate well in daily life with an Irish family. If there is anything that you do not understand or are unhappy about, please do not be afraid to ask your host. Please contact us if you have a problem so that we can help you with it, but do not wait until the end of your stay. You can speak to any member of staff or email us at: accommodation@eci.ie

Your Needs, Our Experience Emerald Cultural Institute 10 Palmerston Park Rathgar, Dublin 6, Ireland +353 1 497 3361 +353 1 497 5008 emerald@eci.ie www.eci.ie