How to find a host family to study in Russia
One thing is for sure: learning Russian with the locals makes learning to speak easier and faster, at least as much as with private tutors. For native Russians, hosting a foreign student is an advantage! Before looking for your Russian host family , you have to determine the nature of your stay :
- Language classes or language exchange,
- Volunteering,
- Internship abroad,
- Only Russian lessons,
- Combination of work and vacations,
- Summer Camp,
- Au pair ,
- Organized trip,
- Tonic accent private classes,
- Russian grammar classes,
- Holidays with a tourist visa.
If you go to Russia to achieve an intermediate level or close to native, the “host family” option is a good plan!
Opting for specialized agencies is the best option to find a good host family , because there are many scams in the context of young au pairs and the student world. Among the agencies, you can contact:
- A language school like the Pushkin Institute in Moscow,
- Tour operators,
- A training organization such as Exlinguo or Derzhavin Institute .
These agencies can offer you host family packages, whatever your project in Russia, including the preparation of a trip in Trans-Siberian or the Caucasus.
Another tip: choose your family according to your language level . If you are a beginner in Russian and need to practice both oral and written expression, opt for host families who speak English, not just Russian, as few Russians speak a foreign language.
Anyway, you go there to learn Russian for free, right?