Complete Immersion Programmes - Welcome

Country Cousins has been successfully arranging immersion programmes since 1951. These are total immersion
programmes for all – children, adults and families. We place individuals in English farming, business and professional families where they can be made welcome and absorbed into family life.

This is by far the fastest way of learning English. This scheme is particularly good for young people wishing to improve their fluency after studying English in their own country. When we are placing students we always try to match their interests and background to that of the English family. We cannot however always guarantee a child of the same age.

 

1. THE HOST FAMILIES

There is no better way to improve spoken English than to stay with a friendly family. We take great care in selecting our families. All families are inspected by our Welfare Staff and are also checked by Social Services. They understand that as good hosts they are expected to treat guests as one of the family and to make the stay as enjoyable as possible.

Many of the families offering their homes have enjoyed a long and happy relationship with us, and new families are only accepted after a personal visit and checks with local authorities.

We ask for as much information as possible about hobbies and interests, and preference for the type and location of the home; farm, seaside house, village or town situation. We write giving details about the family and the area’s leisure facilities, for example, music, riding, swimming and tennis.

If the student is an adult, we try to match as far as possible the professional and cultural interests of the adult to that of the host. We realise that many adults have a good knowledge of written language but lack the social English that is required. Here this can develop naturally in a relaxed family environment.

 

2. THE HOMESTAY PROGRAMME

In this immersion programme, visitors share the day-to-day activities of the host family. Pocket money is essential to cover entrance to disco’s, cinemas and museums, for sports such as swimming, tennis or riding, to pay for long-distance telephone calls or to buy ice-creams, sweets or souvenirs. We recommend at least £50 per week.

The English parents accept responsibility for welfare and Country Cousins is always available for advice and help if needed by either host or guest, 24 hours a day.

Our families understand that the main reason for the visit is to improve knowledge and use of English, by being immersed in an English-speaking environment and not using the student’s mother tongue.

Many families like to entertain more than one visitor, and we often place a student from Germany or Finland, for example, with a French or Taiwanese student so encouraging students to feel at ease when using English to communicate. Most of our families live in the West Country, an area favoured by British holidaymakers because of the mild climate, the lovely beaches, and the National Parks. Many of them live on farms and can provide an insight into a very special way of life.

 

3. THE STAY WITH AN ENGLISH TEACHER PROGRAMME

This programme extends the Homestay philosophy to include one-to-one tuition. Pocket money is essential to cover entrance to disco’s, cinemas and museums, for sports such as swimming, tennis or riding, to pay for long-distance telephone calls or to buy ice-creams, sweets or souvenirs. We recommend at least £50 per week.

Students who feel they need a structured course of lessons, but also want the total immersion of the Homestay Programme, are catered for in this scheme.

The great advantage of this Programme is that it is completely tailored to the specific needs of each individual student. The teacher carries out a needs analysis at the start of the visit to ascertain the type of work required. The programme is ideal for adults requiring specific English combined with social English. Students who have missed school or fallen behind with course work, or students requiring very intensive courses will also find this course highly suitable.

Because students live as a family member, the host teacher is constantly aware of the areas of language that need attention and can build on these during scheduled lesson time. Study hours of 10, 15 or 20 per week are available but more intensive stays can also be organised if required. The obvious flexibility of this scheme gives students the opportunity to learn in a way that is most suited to them.

For students, lesson time is highly structured and a full report on progress and attitude is sent to parents after the visit. We do not guarantee a child of the same age in the family.

This programme has been designed to provide interested students with the opportunity to make rapid progress in English. If time is limited or only periods outside our normal course are available for a visit to England, then this is the ideal programme.

 

4. THE ACADEMIC TERM IN DEVON PROGRAMME

We can arrange for serious students to spend a term (Autumn, Winter or Spring) or a year at a private school in North Devon, studying subjects within the English National Curriculum. We work with some of the best private and boarding schools in the country.

In the past, Country Cousins has seen the success of a number of students who first came to Channel School and then stayed in North Devon studying at an exemplary private school. We can arrange for students to stay with hosts, living as a member of the family, or enjoy the benefits of boarding at the private school with Country Cousins acting as guardians.

Prices are available upon request. We need to know how long the student wishes to stay, whether they would like to board, or stay in a host family, their age and their level of English before we are able to provide a quote. Since this is a very personalised and tailor-made programme, please contact us for more information.