What is an Austrian hostfamily like?

Well, there is no easy answer to this question, as there is no such thing like the typical Austrian family. Most of YFU Austria's host families live in smaller towns or villages in private houses or apartment buildings, but there are also host families living in cities.

Some families like music and art and use the great facilities the capital Vienna and other cities have to offer. Others like sports; they go hiking, biking or swimming in summer and skiing in winter, if they have mountains close by. Some families have pets or even a farm. Some families consist of only parents, others of parents, grandparents and 4 children all living together in a big house.

Many Austrian host families have a separate room for their exchange student, while some families expect you to share a room with your host sister / host brother.
Few Austrian families have a housekeeper (a person who takes care of cleaning the house, doing the laundry,...). In most families the daily chores are shared by all the family members, so becoming part of the family also means doing your share of washing the dishes or mowing the lawn. We are talking about normal house chores here, so don't worry. Host families know that you are not an Au-Pair, but an exchange student who wants to take part in their every day life.

You see Austrian hostfamilies are really diverse, but there is one thing that they all have in common: They have decided to welcome a young person from another part of the world, to learn about his or her culture and to teach him or her about their own. They want to give this student a chance to take part in their daily live during a year full of joy, lessons learnt and laughter.

And the teenager they want to share this great experience with might be you!

What does my Austrian host family expect from me?
Host families expect the students to be open minded and interested to learn about Austria, the German language, the place they are going to live in and adapt to certain rules and habits. Of course your host family will also be interested to learn about your country and culture.

Your host family wants to share their daily life with you. They are looking forward to welcoming you and expect you to join family activities. Typical Austrian family activities could be: Playing board and card games at night, watching a DVD together, working in the garden, going for a picnic, hiking and swimming in summer and skiing and ice-skating in winter.

The reason why families in Austria welcome an exchange student are really diverse - it might be that they always wanted a daugther or their kids always wanted to have a brother, or that they are interested in a specific culture / country and would like to learn more about it by hosting a student. Some families have sent their own kids on exchange and would like to "give something back" by hosting a student in their home.

What they all have in common: they all volunteer, they do not get paid, nor receive a financial contribution from YFU.