You will eat every meal at home with your teacher and any family members or friends who are there at the time. This is a fantastic opportunity for you to practise your English conversation, discuss things that you have read, seen or heard, and find out more about English culture. You might find things come up in conversation that you return to during lesson time.

Many students feel this way at some point during their language studies. Lessons are carefully planned and each step is explained to you. There should be no surprises. This makes it much easier to predict what will happen next and what your teacher is saying. You will also be used to your teacher’s pronunciation and speaking style.

When you step outside into the real world things are not controlled. You can’t predict what topic people will talk about and you can’t predict what they will say. Everyone in the UK has a different accent depending on where they come from. Many English speakers in the UK aren’t native English speakers and will pronounce words differently. The real world is unpredictable but so much more interesting!

All of this means that, at first, you may find it difficult to understand what people are saying which can be very frustrating and a little disappointing.

Be patient, ask people to repeat themselves as many times as you need and remember – it’s impossible to catch everything someone says, even in your own native language. When we listen to people we don’t hear each individual word; we hear the key words and catch the main idea. This is what you need to do in English too.

Many students feel frustrated that their teacher doesn’t correct them each time they feel they make a mistake. They feel they cannot improve if they are not being corrected.

However, it is important to remember that the main reason for learning English is to communicate. If you are discussing a topic or just having a chat, it isn’t very natural to be constantly interrupted. If the mistake being made doesn’t have a negative impact on communication then it doesn’t really need to be addressed at that precise time.

Many teachers will make a note of any mistakes that are made during discussions and deal with them at a later time. In this way, communication is more fluid and it is easier for you to follow your ideas and thoughts without being interrupted. It is also not very good for your self-confidence to be constantly interrupted and corrected.

If, however, you feel you would like to be corrected more often then please tell your teacher in your mid-week tutorial or before.

Please do remember that your teacher is only human and needs time and space during your stay to step out of teacher-mode and have break!

Learning a new language takes time and effort and is a great opportunity to boost your confidence when speaking and listening to English. It’s this improved confidence that will be the key to even greater improvement. Sometimes self-confidence is as important as grammar and vocabulary when communicating in English.

Most language schools specialise in group language courses, which cost less money but do not give you total immersion in the English language that studying and living with your teacher provides.

Classes are made up of between 10 – 20 students, all with different needs and abilities. When 1:1 lessons are available, they usually work out considerably more expensive than Acorn English Homestay’s courses.

Our fees include tuition, meals and accommodation, as well as the invaluable time you will spend conversing and interacting with your teacher, family and other native English speakers.

Your teacher will pick you up from the train or coach station.

We can also arrange for you to be picked up at the airport. Please get in touch for airport transfer fees.

Perhaps you want to study with someone else, or perhaps you want to study on your own but travel with a family member. Perhaps your child will be studying and you would like to stay with them while they take the course. Whatever you want to do, we will work with you to find a solution that suits you. Please just get in touch and let us know what you want.

Yes, of course. Your teacher will have a washing machine, an iron and ironing board that you can use.

All of our teachers have internet access at home and many have wireless internet connections. Let us know if you need wireless access and we will make sure that it is available for you.

Check with your mobile phone provider to make sure you have the roaming facility and check their international calling rates. Bring a charger and an appropriate travel adaptor for the UK. It will also be possible to receive phone calls on your teacher’s landline.

No. All teachers have a 'no smoking' policy inside their homes, but you are welcome to smoke outside the house.

If you have any special dietary requirements, please just let us know and we will make sure your teacher is aware when they cook for you.

All European Union students travelling within the Eurozone are advised to get the European Health Insurance Card, in addition to personal travel insurance cover. If necessary, we can arrange for you to visit a doctor.

You will be able to make cash withdrawals in Pounds Sterling from ATMs and Visa and MasterCard are widely accepted. Ask you bank or credit card provider to advise of any charges you may incur. Remember all excursion costs are not included in the course fees.

If you do have a problem or complaint, Acorn English Homestay is committed to providing excellent customer service and dealing promptly, tactfully and efficiently with your problem or complaint to try to find a solution during your stay.

We contact you on the first day of the course and ask if your accommodation is OK. Please tell us if for example you are not warm enough or you don’t have enough light in your bedroom. It is best to resolve any issues straight away.

You can speak to us at any time if you have problems or concerns with any aspect of your stay, including meals and outings, and any aspect your course, including content, teaching method and the progress you are making.

If you are unhappy with your lessons, you should speak with our Director of Studies, Liz Marqueiro, or our Principal, Raymond Kalt.

If you are unhappy with your accommodation, you should speak with our Student Services Officer, Helen Smith.

If you are unhappy with any other aspect of the School, you should speak to the Principal, Raymond Kalt.

If you still feel the problem needs further investigation you can complain in writing to: raymond@acornenglishhomestay.co.uk