Kathryn Richardson

The Roles of Homestay Hosts: the Mentor, the Mother and the Menial Kathryn Richardson

The roles and experiences of homestay hosts have been generally ignored in literature and there has been very little research conducted in the area of homestay accommodation. The purpose of this study is to present an overview of cross-cultural issues that homestay hosts face and to develop an understanding of their needs within the homestay context. Data were collected from homestay hosts and homestay providers from one English language centre in Melbourne via a mixed method approach. Questionnaires, focus group interviews and a semi-structured interview were utilised. The questionnaire focused on developing a demographic profile of the hosts, and establishing possible issues to explore in the focus group interviews. The coordinators of the homestay program were also interviewed regarding issues arising from the questionnaire and focus group data. Homestay hosts and providers were asked to suggest improvements for the homestay industry. It is concluded that homestay hosts and coordinators require training in cross-cultural communication, health and safety, and their legal rights and responsibilities, such as ?duty of care'.