Make Money, Get Cultured By Hosting A Foreign Student

The ELS Language Center at is looking for East Bay area families to open up their homes to students from Ecuador.

"We're always looking for new host families in the East Bay Area," said Sheila Dobbyn, a contractor who works on setting up home stays in the area. "Every month there are new students who come to the area to learn who need a place to stay."

For the month of February, Dobbyn is seeking home stays for students between the ages of 14 and 17 that will stay from Feb. 5, through March 3. Anyone who opts to be a home stay provider will receive compensation of $775 for the month.

Home stays must provide the following for the student living with them:

• Meals
• A private bedroom
• Support/general supervision

"I still have several students left to place and it's getting down to the wire," Dobbyn said.

Students will study at the ELS Language Center located on the RWU campus Monday through Friday, and some activities will be planned for them. Students arrive with some English language abilities, and in some cases their English is quite good. They are typically very high achieving in the classroom and are very well behaved.

"[It is] a great way to introduce your family to another culture without leaving the home." Dobbyn said.

If you are interested in hosting a student but are not currently available to take a student from Ecuador, fear not! Other opportunities will be available. The ELS Language Center at Roger Williams University is always looking to expand its Easy Bay area host family handbook. The program welcomes students year round  from all over the world, who come from countries such as China, Brazil, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Venezuela, Ecuador, Turkey, Taiwan, Vietnam and more! Students range in age from 14 to 35, though most students are between the ages of 18 and 24.

Anyone interested in more information can call Sheila at 401-536-3092 or email her at SheilaDobbyn@gmail.com. 

Sheila Dobbyn, the owner of Dobbyn Homestay, is the host family coordinator for ELS Language Centers Bristol at Roger Williams University. For more information about her company, please visit www.dobbynhomestay.com.