Sample Host Family Interview Questions
From AFSWiki
* Address many questions to teens or kids in the family FIRST, and then get the parents’ views.
* Take notes – fill out Form D later.
* There are no right answers to many of these questions, but they can help identify any red flags.
| Has anyone in the family been an exchange student? How did you decide to host a student? | |
| Why do you want to host? (expectations) | |
| What do you think a student wants most from a host family? (most say they want to be “loved”) | |
| Tell me about your family (mom, dad, grandparents? Other relatives – close by?) | |
| Who will live at home? (If blended family: How long have parents been together? What adjustments have been made?) | |
| How does your family show affection? (might be different than what the student is used to) | |
| If student already selected – what did you find intriguing about this student? (expectations) | |
| What kinds of things does your mom do on a free day, like a Saturday? Your dad? You? Sunday? | |
| What did you do on your last winter break from school? | |
| Tell me about dinner time in your family? Weekdays compared to weekends? Who cooks? | |
| Describe a typical day – weekday & weekend or free day | |
| How is your family different from your best friend’s family? | |
| Does your mom or dad go to meetings? What kind? (community involvement) | |
| How does your family make important decisions – (to buy a car? Take a vacation?) | |
| For what kinds of things are you (teen) expected to spend your money? How do you get spending money (allowance, chores, job)? | |
| Tell me about how the laundry is done here. | |
| How do you handle house cleaning? | |
| How do you (teen) get to school? What do you do for lunch? (AFS expects family to provide lunch for student – o.k. to be a sack lunch however – see HF agreement) | |
| How will your family transport the AFS student to his or her activities? | |
| What would happen if your grades in a particular subject are not as good as your parents would expect? | |
| If you want to go out Saturday night, what do you do? (I.e. negotiate with parents?) | |
| If you stay out too long, miss a curfew, what would happen? | |
| How much time do you spend on the computer? How many computers are in the house? How would you deal with a student who spends several hours a day communicating with family and friends at home? | |
| What would you tell your exchange student about how to handle teenage drinking if he/she is invited to a party and sees drinking or other illegal substances? | |
| What is your attitude towards smoking? | |
| What kind of a relationship would you like to have with your AFS sister or brother? | |
| What would have to happen for you to feel that this was a "successful experience"? |
