American Family Home Stay Program
Intensive English Program & Short Term Programs
International Education and Services
Southeast Missouri State University

 The Intensive English Program at Southeast Missouri State University provides new undergraduate and graduate students with the opportunity to improve their English Language skills prior to their entering the university.  These students are tested and placed in appropriate level classes, beginning through advanced, and study English language listening, speaking, reading, writing, and grammar.

In addition to the IEP, International Education and Services also offers month-long American Culture and Language Seminars for college students attending partner universities in other countries. At present we have such program agreements with three universities in Japan, and expect to host similar short term programs with new partner institutions in Korea, Taiwan, and China.

The Home Stay program is an integral part of both the Intensive English and the Short Term Programs.  First term IEP students are invited to opt for a local home stay for up to 9 weeks upon arrival in the United States, before moving into campus housing (dormitories).  All Short Term Seminar students are placed in home stays for the duration of their month-long program.

The American Family Home Stay program is a cross-cultural and language development opportunity for the students and their host families.  Local families essentially “adopt” the student for the duration of the home stay experience, making them members of their families.  The host family is expected to provide all meals (except noon meals on campus), transport the student to and from classes on campus daily (classes meet 9:00 AM to 3:30 PM, weekdays), and help the student with their language development though regular conversation and engagement in family activities. The university pays a modest stipend to host families to defray their costs of hosting a student.  Typically, students are placed one per host family, although some families will host two students at a time.

Students who participate in the home stay program develop their language skills much more rapidly than those who do not, and learn aspects of American family culture to which they would not be exposed while living on campus.  Host families have the opportunity to learn a great deal about their student’s home society and culture.  Often times, the host families develop long term relationships with their students and become a “home away from home” to the student, long after he or she has moved into campus housing or has returned his or her home country.

We place approximately 50 students each year with local families through the home stay program, primarily in August, February and March.  There are about 40 active host families in our area who host students from time to time.  Of these, about 10 families host students in their homes on a regular basis.  Several host families live within walking distance of the university while others live in other parts of Cape Girardeau, as well as in Jackson, Chaffee, and Fruitland.

Families interested in hosting students should contact the Office of International Education and Services at 986-6863, or email David Price at dwprice@semo.edu. Please use the link provided to your left to download the "Host Family Prospect Form".

Additionally, there are several internet web sites that cen be informative for those local families that host students. One such site that pertains to hosting Japanese students in particular is found at:
http://www.timwerx.net/culture/hosting.htm#comm

Prospective Intensive English Program students who are interested in being considered for a homestay experience may download the application using the link provided to your left.