Host families celebrate important anniversary

This year marks an important anniversary for the Portelli and Dunford families, of Msida.

Both families have been working closely with NSTS for a long time, acting as host families to a number of foreign students.

The Portelli family has been hosting students for 45 years, while the Dunfords have worked with foreign students for 30 years.

NSTS Student and Youth Travel was set up in 1954. It is a travel organisation that offers specialised services for students and young people, Maltese and foreigners alike.

The main objective of the organisation is to promote and facilitate travel for students and youths, to enhance their personal development through travel.

The hosting of foreign students saw its early beginnings in the 1960s. Solid foundations within such a novel enterprise were then being laid with Mme. Colombatto, of Thomas Cook Travel, Paris, interviewing prospective host families in Malta and student families in France, with children intending to improve their English with English-speaking families.

These were the two countries that pioneered the project locally. Nowadays, students come from the four corners of the world: Europe, the Far East, Latin America and Russia. Moreover, there are no age limitations for students. They can be as young as 10 and as old as 80. The vast majority in summer are aged between 13 and 26. Most students who come to Malta during the winter months are older than 18 and a selection of them spend long weeks with the same host family. These students do not attract as much attention as their summer counterparts, as entertainment tends to quieten down.

Host families form a very important part of NSTS. They help improve the students’ learning experience by giving the students a fantastic opportunity to immerse themselves in a new culture through personal involvement and practising English.

Students also enjoy their stays with the host families, as they get to know about the locals from a different perspective and are able to gain a deeper insight whenliving with them.

Students learn a lot about the Maltese people, their culture, beliefs, hobbies and cuisine, much more than if they had to stay in other types ofaccommodation.

When Tesfankiel Asfaha from Germany was asked what he liked most about staying with a host family, he said: “Maltese families are very warm-hearted and welcoming. I used to wake up to good company every morning, with an excellent breakfast awaiting me. I also spoke English constantly and became quite fluent.”

Hosting students is an enlightening and rewarding experience that will last a lifetime. It potentially changes your life and opens the door to a new world and friendships. It is a chance to share culture with others while experiencing the way of life and cultures of others in countless ways.

“Our children also grow in the understanding of and are sensitive to other cultures. When a family decides to share their lives with a foreign student, everyday experiences take on an exciting twist,” said a host family. Many NSTS families host for the educational value the experience brings to their own children. For young children, this may be their first exposure to another language, different customs and new ways of thinking. These early experiences teach, among other things, the important value of tolerance.

For teenagers, foreign students bring new perspectives to issues facing teens around the globe – making choices for the future, shaping a better world, while also having a great time.

Mr and Ms Portelli believe the role of a host family is no mean task: “It requires both preparation and adaptability for it to become acceptable and also enjoyable. For our children this was one of their first experiences and contact with the outside world.

“For the family as a whole, it was and remains an opportunity to obtain an insight into the life and roles of our counterparts in other countries with different backgrounds.”

Experience has shown that, generally, students who opt to further their studies and experience life within a host family are well educated, good-natured, adapt easily to changing circumstances and offer good company.

Should the rare exception occur, NSTS is there to assist the host family, address the mishap and find a remedy to the situation.

There are students who also repeat their experience and return for further stays and periods of study, said the host families.

Ms Casha is an executive, Accommodation Services, NSTS.