This thesis presents the findings of a descriptive study of goals of international exchange and how they are perceived in terms of relevance by host family participants in homestay exchange programs. The literature of international exchange was examined to identify goals as established and defined by researchers in the field. Experienced exchange coordinators, host families and others were interviewed for their suggestions of additional goals not discussed in the literature. A survey questionnaire was developed and administered to 69 host family members from Tillamook County, Oregon. They were asked to evaluate the importance and achievement of 14 literature-based and 22 non-literature-based goals represented by 43 two-part questions.

This study investigated the host family experience, specifically examining the goals of host families and intercultural training of host families. It compares the the importance and accomplishment of goals between interculturally trained host families and untrained host families.The focus of the research addressed the following research questions: 1) Do host families who receive intercultural training rate their goals differently than families who do not receive intercultural training? 1a) Do host families who receive intercultural training rate differently the goals in which the student meets intra-family needs than families who do not receive intercultural training? 2) Do host families who receive intercultural training report the level of accomplishment of their goals differently than host families who do not receive intercultural training? 2a) Do host families who receive intercultural training report the level of accomplishment of goals regarding cultural awareness differently than families who do not receive intercultural training? 3) To what extent is there a relationship between trained host family ratings of importance and ratings of accomplishment of goals? 3a) To what extent is there a relationship between untrained host family ratings of importance and ratings of accomplishment of goals?

Language students studying abroad are presented with multiple housing options. Living with a host family in a homestay is widely believed to be the most beneficial option. However, little research has been done as to how students' beliefs about homestays may affect their choice of housing. In this study, 116 language students completed the Student Beliefs About Homestays Questionnaire. Quantitative and qualitative data analyses indicated that students value homestays not only for the opportunity for language acquisition, but also for the inside look at the family life and culture of the host country and for the support a family setting provides. Student beliefs about negative aspects of homestays (such as the possibility of being placed with a bad family) and the role of the homestay placement program were also investigated; several practical implications were drawn for staff in homestay placement programs and language institutions that may improve the homestay experience.