Living with a Host Family

Your Host Home should be a place where you feel welcome. Your Hosts should talk to you and treat you like one of the family. However, that means that you’ll need to act like one of the family too, and not expect the Host Home to be like an hotel.

Host families are interested in showing you the South African way of life and helping to improve your English. If you treat the host family with the same respect as you would your own, you will be assured of a happy and fruitful stay.

Any problems with your host family should firstly be discussed with your family and, if necessary, with the Welfare Officer.

Your room will include at least a bed, desk and cupboard. You will need to clean the room yourself, but you may arrange for the host to do this for you at an agreed charge.

You may also use the television, radio and other facilities of the house.

If you wish to use your own electrical equipment you must ask for permission first, and check that your equipment is suitable for our electricity supply, which is 240V, 50Hz (cycles) AC. You may need an adaptor for our sockets, which have three round pins.

Your Host will change your sheets and towels every week. You will need to wash your own clothes, but your host may offer to do this for a suitable charge.

Please ask permission to use the telephone, and pay for all calls.

Your Host will provide a continental breakfast and an evening meal. You should tell your Host in the morning if you do not want dinner, and discuss the times of meals with your family.If the family are out in the evening, they will leave food for you to prepare.

Extra luxury items, such as alcohol or sweets, would be at your own expense.

You may entertain your friends at your own expense, but please discuss convenient times with your host.

You will be personally responsible for the safety and security of your own valuables (e.g. laptops, cameras, money), transport to and from the school, telephone calls abroad as well as damage to property when you are living with your family.

Please keep your valuables in the office safe at LAL Cape Town - ask at Reception!