Living with a host family in Shanghai

Shanghai is China's largest city and one of its most outward-looking. A stay with a family there gives a British student what no tour can: ordinary life in a city of some twenty-five million people.

Home life

Most families live in apartment blocks, often in gated compounds with gardens and a guard at the entrance. Three generations are commonly involved in a child's life, and grandparents may live with the family or visit daily. Shoes come off at the door and slippers are provided.

Mandarin is the language of school and public life. Older relatives may also speak Shanghainese, the local dialect. Many parents and most teenagers have some English, but a guest who tries Mandarin, however imperfectly, earns immediate goodwill.

Food

Breakfast may be the largest surprise: soy milk, steamed buns, fried dough sticks or a savoury pancake bought from a stall. Shanghai is known for xiaolongbao, the soup-filled dumplings, and for dishes that are slightly sweeter than those of other regions. Dinner is shared, and a host will keep filling a guest's bowl.

Study and expectations

British students often notice how seriously school is taken. Homework is long, and evenings and weekends frequently include extra classes. To see this at first hand is an education in itself, and it usually prompts good conversations on both sides.

Practical points

Daily life runs through mobile apps for messages, payment and transport, so it helps to prepare a phone before arrival. The metro is clean, inexpensive and signed in English. Bring a small gift from home, be on time, and accept invitations. The family will want to show you their city.