A new approach to English Immersion will be launched at the ICEF Miami 2019 Conference in December.
MyStay ENGLISH, a new initiative of the MyStay International Group, is expected to dramatically increase the numbers of International students travelling for their conversational English education.
'MyStay ENGLISH' is the culmination of three years' planning after the initial concept was developed at the ICEF Berlin Conference in 2016 from a chance meeting between English school specialist Paul Humphreys, Managing Partner of JH Education International Ltd and student accommodation expert David Bycroft, Founder of the Australian and American Homestay Network as well as MyStay International.
David Bycroft said that:
"Immersion is seen as the key to the new product and our focus has been how to effectively link the student experience with the accommodation provider, the school and ensure the agents had a new unique product to sell to the market."
The MyStay ENGLISH program contracted leading international education research group Intead from the USA to validate the opportunity and help to develop a 'go to market plan'.
Intead CEO Ben Waxman said that he saw the new MyStay English program as a likely game changer for the industry and the findings from the study supported this position.
"During our focus groups with a broad range of Education Providers and Education Agents it was clearly apparent that the immersion packaging which includes a Host Mentor Program is a key differentiator"
Joanne Clements, an EFL pedagogy veteran of 20 years and head of the mentoring development team for Host Family English Ltd, said that the special Host Mentor training program is at the heart of the immersion experience.
"We have recognised that the Homestay Host is the key to effective immersion and all that was missing was a way of effectively engaging, training and supporting quality hosts and linking them to the right schools and support programme" she said.
The MyStay ENGLISH program will be managed globally by MyStay International, who were a PIEoneer Awards finalist in both the 2017 and 2018 Accommodation Provider of the Year category.
David Bycroft, said this week:
"Our Group has successfully placed over 50,000 International students in Homestay and we learned early the importance of training and engaging Hosts to support International students in much more than just accommodation"
"The Host is the key and MyStay ENGLISH will be offering a free Mentor training program to people interested in becoming part of this new program"
Education Providers and Education Agents are being invited to seek
