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Overview

Learn Chinese and teach English while staying at an LTL “Teach English Homestay”. This program is great for anyone who wants to live with a Chinese family, save money and get to teach English in China. You will teach one of your family members English for six hours a week and get a 50% discount on the homestay fee.

A teach English homestay includes breakfast and dinner, your own private room, all bills & WIFI, and the opportunity to experience living with a Chinese family abroad, to practice your Chinese and gain some work experience as an English teacher. No TOEFL or other English language qualification is required, you must be either a native or fluent English speaker to join this program.

  • Live with a Chinese Family
  • Teach six hours of English per week
  • Save 50% on the cost of a standard homestay
  • Private room, WIFI & meals included
  • Practice your Mandarin daily

  • Live With a Chinese Family

    Culture: experience daily live with a Shanghai family
    Food: eat home cooked Chinese food every day
    Learn Chinese: teach English and practice your Mandarin
    Save and reliable: we inspect and visit all our homestays regularly

  • Save Money

    Reduced price: save 50% of your homestay fee

    Private room: comes with free WIFI, air con, all bills included

    Good location: usually 20 minutes to school and never more than 45

    Great apartments: fully furnished, clean and modern

  • Get Teaching Experience

    The job: teach English for six hours per week
    Teach English in China: learn how to teach English in Shanghai
    Explore: find more about life in Shanghai while teaching
    Work abroad: add English teaching work experience to your CV

  • LTL Homestay Support

    LTL homestays: homestays are our school specialty
    Experienced: more than 80% of LTL students live in a homestay
    Wide choice: we have a very wide homestay family network
    Careful selection: your family is chosen based on your preference

Learning Chinese

Shanghai is a big city but your homestay will on average be only 30 minutes travel time away from our downtown Shanghai school. LTL Homestays live in modern apartments where you will have your own room and privacy, while living with a real Chinese family. Experiencing daily life of a normal Chinese family is the best way to discover what life in China today really is like, which might be quite different to what you might have read in newspapers or online. For anyone who enjoys food, the opportunity to eat home cooked Chinese food every day is the best way to explore China’s cuisine, because the best Chinese food is usually served at home. Depending on the family you will either have your own private bathroom or share it with another family member.

Teaching English

Learn Chinese, teach English and explore Chinese culture all at the same time. Your job will be teaching six hours of English language classes per week, but you will have no obligation to do any further English teaching outside of this as you of course will be practicing your Chinese at home. At the beginning of your program you will receive a teaching schedule from the family. Classes will either be in the evenings or weekends after you finished your small group Chinese course or private classes. While this program is a great opportunity to live with a Chinese family and save money, and six hours per week is not much, please note that you will need to adjust your time table a bit to make sure you are available when classes are supposed to take place though. You don’t need an English teaching qualification or TEFL to join the Teach English Homestay Program, but you are required to be either a fluent or native English language speaker.

Prices

You can stay with your Teach English Homestay in Shanghai for anything from one week to a full year. Here a selection of prices for a few sample durations, if you want an exact price quote for a different please contact us.

Duration Price in CNY
2 weeks 2,665
3 weeks 3,664
4 weeks 4,441
8 weeks 8,217
12 weeks 11,325
13-52 wks 944 / wk

Prices include all bills, free WIFI, breakfast and dinner and full LTL support and students spend six hours per week teaching English to the family. If you do not want to teach English, please have a look at our regular homestay programs.

Please note that because we spend a lot of time inspecting, organizing and managing our homestay network, only LTL students studying a full time Chinese course can book an LTL Teach English Homestay.

What Our Students Say

Jamie Wood Testimony for LTL
Jamie Wood
Newcastle, Australia

My homestay family were really nice, and I got great support from the school. As this was a live and teach homestay I help the host families son out with his English, read some of his books, talk, help with homework. That was a bit unusual for me, but I was also really happy about it.

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Jamie Wood Testimony for LTL
Jamie Wood
Newcastle, Australia

A family friend studied Chinese in China and had a cool experience. My parents and I agreed it might be good for me as well. My sister worked as an English teacher in Shanghai, and based on her recommendation I decided to go to Shanghai.

Jamie in Class

Jamie in Class

When I first arrived it was all overwhelming and a lot to take in. Luckily my homestay family were really nice, and I got great support from the school. I quickly adjusted to life in Shanghai. The homestay was located only four subway stops away from the school which was convenient. The apartment was nice, and I had a big room with my own double bed. I was a bit worried about going out and coming back late, so as not to disturb the family. But they were very accommodating and this wasn’t a problem at all.

As this was a live and teach homestay I help the host families son out with his English. He studies English in school and takes extra lessons, so after dinner we would read some of his books, talk, help with homework, and son would teach me chess and other games. That was a bit unusual for me, but I was also really happy about it.

The classes and teachers were great. I signed up for small group classes, but at the start it was just me, later we had more students join me. We would recap and review things we’ve learned often so we could better remember what we’ve learned. The pace of the class was good, not too slow so it didn’t get boring, yet not too fast either. I thought it would be a big classroom, and you would be babied by the school, but you are given more independence. It was a nice environment, friendly people. I learned much more than expected.

I enjoyed the social life and the activities at the school. There was a lot going on, but none was compulsory so there wasn’t any pressure. I liked the lunches every day, it was planned ahead, but again no pressure to join if you didn’t want to.

Shanghai was really cool. It was more western, more modern and cleaner than I expected. There was lots of cool stuff to do, and I wish I did even more than what I did. I ended up visiting Beijing, and I enjoyed the cultural sights, but I’m glad I chose Shanghai.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is life in a Chinese family like?

While of course every family is different, in general living with a family in Shanghai is quite relaxed. Each family has it’s own routines and it is important that you adapt a bit to life in your family. Dinner in China is usually served around 18:30 and you should make sure you are there on time. If you want to go for dinner with friends or join one of the evening school events, this is no problem, but you should let your family know in advance so they don’t cook for you. In the morning breakfast will be ready for you before you leave for class. There is always the option for you to join family activities on weekends or after class, but you of course never have to.

Can I bring someone home at night?

While Shanghai is quite an open society today, you will be given a key and it is ok to come home late if you want to enjoy Shanghai nightlife, it is culturally not acceptable to bring someone home to stay the night in your homestay.

Should I bring something?

You of course do not have to bring any presents or the like. However, usually a little present from your home country, whether it is food, local craftwork or any other specialty from your country is a great way to start the relationship.

Will the family be able to speak English?

In general English is not spoken in China. However, as you will be teaching a family member English, there should be at least one person who knows at least some English. After you booked your course, we will ask you to fill out a registration form, where you can indicate how much English you would like your family to be able to speak and we will keep this in mind when matching you with your family.

Will there be bed sheets?

Yes, your family will provide you with sheets and linen.

Can I wash my clothes?

Yes of course. Most of our homestay families actually do the laundry for their guests. If this is not the case in your family, you can use the washing machine.

How does LTL choose it’s Teach English Homestay Families?

Homestays have been the basis of all LTL programs from the first day we started the school onwards. Our first homestay families were friends or relatives of our teachers or staff (most of whom are still working with us today) and still today any new family we accept into the program has to first be recommended by someone we trust. We spend a lot of time checking our families and once we found a good family we usually work with them for a very long time. We have seen children of our families grow up with LTL students and it is great to see how being exposed to an international environment not only benefits our students, but often also the families themselves. Have a look at this TV documentary about living with an LTL standard homestay for a few more insights.

Other Options

  • Homestays in Shanghai

    Housing

    Living with a Chinese family in Shanghai is an excellent way to improve your speaking and listening skills outside of the classroom. LTL believes that learning Mandarin Chinese shouldn’t be all about textbooks and grammar exercises.

    Learn More

    Homestays in Shanghai |

  • Shared Apartments

    Housing

    Live in a shared apartment with other international and local Chinese students during your Chinese course at LTL Shanghai. Enjoy the privacy of your own bedroom with WiFi and bills included

    Learn More

    Shared Apartments |