Shanghai Homestay Information

Day Trip with the Homestay Family
Each and every LTL host family has been personally selected by us. We’ve visited their homes and built strong relationships with them over the years. Our families are all keen to make sure that each student who lives with them leaves Shanghai with a good impression of their city and culture. We strongly recommend eating at least one meal every day with the family, not least because mealtimes are when students get their most valuable Chinese practice. Dinnertime around the table is a great opportunity to get an insight into your host family’s life, share stories with them from home, and learn first hand about one of the most important aspects of Chinese culture – the food!
Many students remain good friends with their host family long after their LTL program has ended – and some even return to Shanghai for a reunion.
We spend time matching each student to the most suitable homestay. Once you have booked your program and homestay with us online, we will send you a questionnaire to fill out, so you can indicate your lifestyle habits and any special requirements and preferences.
Complete Beginners in Mandarin: Many students who stay in an LTL homestay have never studied Mandarin Chinese before. That’s absolutely fine – your host family will have had lots of experience communicating with complete beginners. It’s amazing how much you can communicate with gestures and a dictionary phone app! Jumping right in at the deep end and immersing yourself in Chinese 24/7 will do wonders for your language progress too, since many everyday words will come up in conversation again and again. However, if you’d prefer a family that speaks a little English too, just let us know.
Vegetarians, Vegans, Halal and other Special Dietary Needs: Let us know your dietary needs in advance and we will inform your homestay.
Other requirements: If you have any other special requirements or preferences, please contact us and we can discuss how we can accommodate your needs.
The Process
- Contact us, get advice, and sign up for the course and homestay option best suited to you
- Fill out the homestay questionnaire online
- Approximately one week before arrival: Receive information about your homestay and get in contact with them if you’d like
- Arrival Day: If you’ve booked an Airport Pick Up or a Shanghai Survival Kit then you’ll be collected by our private driver at the airport or train station and taken directly to your homestay address. Otherwise show the address we’ve given you to a taxi driver.
- First Day of School: Your host family will take you to the school for your first day of class, so you don’t have to worry about getting lost.