Will the student expect to use my home telephone and/or internet?
Use of the telephone and internet is exclusively at the discretion of the Host Family. Many Host Families allow students to receive incoming calls only. If you are comfortable with your student making outgoing telephone calls, then a good option is an international calling card. Calling cards are available at most local shops and your student can buy one that has a certain credit limit (e.g. £5, £10 etc).
The majority of the schools and clients we work with will not expect internet to be provided as part of the Homestay package. They understand that not everyone uses the internet.
However, in practice an international student will often travel to London with their own laptop and ask us to place them in a Homestay with access to internet. Students need internet to be able to study, research London and keep in contact with friends and family back home. International students are as active on social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter as UK students. Many international students will have a Skype telephone account which will allow them to make free international phone calls via their laptops when connected to the internet.
The majority of students will specifically request to be placed in a Homestay where there is at least Broadband access, with a strong preference for Wireless Broadband.
Where a Host Family does have Wireless internet access in the home, they will be able to give students the Pass Code to their internet account so that the student can connect wirelessly to the internet from anywhere in the home.
Different internet accounts will come with different monthly download limits. Internet accounts that offer unlimited download can still be subject to a Fair Use policy. Host Families are advised to consult their internet service provider regarding any download limit on their own account before allowing a student to use the internet. If you wish to monitor internet use at any time thereafter, your internet service provider should also be able to advise you on how close you are to your download limit at any time in any given month.
Host Families are also strongly advised to include guidelines on use of the internet in the Ground Rules provided to any student.