CULTURE & LANGUAGE IMMERSION COMMUNITY, LLC

LANGUAGE HOUSE BROCHURE

CULTURE & LANGUAGE IMMERSION COMMUNITY

LIVE & LEARN

Thank you for your interest in the Culture & Language

Immersion Community (CLIC)! Residents of CLIC Language

Houses live the culture and learn the language of a foreign

country with the help of natives and the community.

In this brochure you will learn more about the CLIC,

including House Languages, House Dinners, House Cultures,

House Rules, and the housing costs, application process, and

FAQs. Want to be a resident? Apply online to join the CLIC!

WELCOME!

HOUSE LANGUAGES Whether it is Spanish, French,

Portuguese, Chinese, Arabic, or

another foreign language, residents

of CLIC Language Houses speak the

House Language while at home.

Residents are encouraged to also

speak the language with other

language speakers while outside

the home. Speaking the language

at home lets residents experience

immersion while living in the US!

To help residents practice speaking

the language, at least one Native

Host lives in each House. Natives

are home during the evenings

Sunday thru Thursday, engaging

residents in conversation, and

answering any language inquiries.

To help residents practice listening

to and reading the language,

DVD’s, CD’s, television, books and

artwork in the House Language are

made available to the residents.

Labels are placed throughout the

House to help residents remember

and learn everyday vocabulary.

The CLIC encourages residents to study the House

Language during their residency. Schools,

community centers, nonprofits, and professional

organizations offer language courses. Residents

may supplement or substitute formal courses with

individual language study, language learning

software, or private foreign language tutors.

Residents are exempt from speaking the House

Language if there is a serious problem, during

Transition Periods, and on Language Holidays.

Transition Periods are the first and last day of a

person’s immersion residency. Language Holidays

correspond to major holidays celebrated in the US.

Residents must use headsets to listen to media

not in the House Language. Visitors that do not

speak the language are welcome, but moderated.

Please note that you must already

have some experience speaking

the language before you apply.

Each resident is encouraged to adopt a name from

the House Language, and CLIC residents are

encouraged to address residents by that name.

HOUSE DINNERS CLIC Language House residents enjoy homemade,

cultural meals each Sunday. With the help of Native

Hosts and a recipe collection from the House Culture,

each resident prepares and hosts a Sunday House

Dinner on a rotating basis. This allows residents the

opportunity to learn how to cook cultural dishes, and

lets them share their meals with one another.

Whether it is empanadas, quiche, feijoada, falafel,

jiaozi, or another foreign flavor, residents love

Sunday Dinner! House Dinners also give residents

another opportunity to practice the House Language.

The CLIC encourages residents to have additional

dinners during the week, or to organize dinner

groups. House residents and Native Hosts are also

encouraged to celebrate all major holidays of the

House Culture with a culturally appropriate dinner.

The cost for each House Dinner is divided equally

among the residents and natives. Funds leftover

after food for the House Dinner has been purchased

can be used for the purchase of household products.

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HOUSE CULTURES

To help residents experience the House Culture, the Native Host and CLIC Programs

Office act as a liaison between the residents and the local ethnic community.

Residents are informed at dinners and by email of upcoming local activities and

events from the House Culture. Cultural activities include parties, dances, potlucks,

and volunteer opportunities. Cultural events include major religious and political

celebrations, theater and musical performances, art and film festivals, fairs,

parades, and museum exhibitions. The CLIC encourages residents to attend as

many activities and events as they would like with other residents and friends.

The CLIC also encourages residents to experience the House Culture first hand.

Residents are informed of local classes that teach hobbies from the House Culture

such as dance and art. Because travel can also be an important part of immersion,

residents may receive travel information about countries from the House Culture,

including sites, attractions, festivities, lodging, and group vacation opportunities.

HOUSE RULES

To help all residents of a CLIC Language House have a rewarding experience, each

resident must follow a few basic rules. Besides speaking the House Language when

in the home, residents must also agree to keep common areas clean. Common areas

include the kitchen, dining room, living room, laundry room, and extra bathroom, if

present. Residents are responsible for cleaning any messes they make in the

common areas, especially dishes. Personal items are not permitted in these areas

unless approved by the Native Host, who also coordinate all cleaning responsibilities.

More information about cleaning requirements can be found in the lease agreement.

Residents are also responsible for cleaning personal bedrooms and bathrooms.

Departing residents are required to clean these areas thoroughly before they leave

or face a steep cleaning fee. To help maintain cleanliness in Language Houses, the

CLIC provides a professional deep cleaning of all common areas every six months.

Language House guests and House Dinner guests are welcome, but moderated.

More information about guest restrictions can be found in the lease agreement.

No smoking is allowed in Language Houses or within 20 feet of the House. No pets

are allowed. Children are not allowed in Houses unless accompanied by a parent.

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The lease agreement is binding, but may

be transferred if a resident is able to find

an approved applicant to assume the

lease, or if there is an approved applicant

on the CLIC Language House waiting list.

The lease agreement may also be

terminated due to the severe injury,

debilitating illness, or death of a resident.

Lease agreements may be terminated by

the CLIC due to repeated negligence in

speaking the House Language, misuse of

House Dinner funds, theft or purposeful

destruction of CLIC property, smoking or

pet violations, criminal activity, or

repeated infringement of other terms in

the lease agreement. In these instances,

residents forfeit their security deposit.

HOUSING COSTS The cost of living in a Language House is

marginal – residents pay a small fee of

$150 on top of the monthly cost of rent

and utilities. Housing costs depend on the

prevailing regional rent price, annual

average rate of utilities, and if a room is

shared or private. Residents also pay a

security deposit equal to one month of

housing, which is due the month before

arrival and reimbursed upon departure.

Please contact the CLIC to get a quote!

All residents must sign a lease agreement

to live in a Language House. Leases are

for a minimum of 4 months, but residents

are encouraged to experience language

immersion for longer. Payment is due

electronically at the first of each month.

Residents may also pay all months in full

prior to the start of the lease agreement.

APPLICATION PROCESS

To become a resident:

1. Apply online at clicster.org, How To Join

2. The CLIC Leasing Office will contact you to

discuss when and where you want to live

3. You will receive a draft lease agreement and

housing cost quote from the Leasing Office

4. Review the terms of the lease and the quote

5. Sign the lease, return it by email, and pay the

signing fee (covers a background check)

You are on your way to language immersion!

You will have the option to apply for a same

gender or mixed gender house; however, shared

rooms and bathrooms are same gender only.

You will be notified and placed on a waiting list

if there are no openings for the Language House

you are interested in. As soon as there is an

opening or enough approved applicants on the

waiting list to open an additional Language

House, the CLIC Leasing Office will contact you.

Language Houses are currently only available in

the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Area. If you

are from another area and interested in the

CLIC, let us know who you are - we may be able

to open a Language House where you live!

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

How do I pay the monthly housing cost? Simple! You can pay by credit card or online transfer using the CLIC PayPal account. More information about how and when to pay can be found in the lease.

What if I don’t like my experience and want to leave? If you want to leave the CLIC, talk to the Leasing Office. You may find someone to assume the lease; otherwise, you must continue to pay for the duration of the lease.

May I speak English in a CLIC Language House? Never! Just kidding – you can speak English only when there is a serious problem, during your first and last day in the Language House, and during major US holidays. Do I have to speak the Language before I move in? Yes and no. You should have some experience in the language (a class, time abroad, etc) and know basic phrases, but you do not have to speak proficiently.

What languages are available? Any language is available, but because Houses are opened and closed in response to demand, languages that are more popular than others are more available. If you want to practice a less popular language, talk to your friends about opening a Language House.

Where are Language Houses located? Houses are located wherever there is the most interest, usually near a university, urban center, or suburban area with easy access to public transportation. Applicants’ preferences help the CLIC determine where the Language Houses will be opened.

Do I have to study the language while living in a Language House? While formal study of the language is not a requirement for residency, it is highly recommended. Residents learn from each other and you help the community learn by taking a class or studying daily. You are also less likely to get left behind in conversation.

Do I have to cook, eat or pay for Sunday House Dinner? While participation in and attendance at Sunday House Dinner is not required, why would you want to miss out? If you do not want to learn to cook, the Native Host will fill in. If you do not want to eat or if you are out of town for Dinner, you do not have to contribute.

May I have guests stay over at the Language House and come for House Dinner? Guests are welcome at the CLIC, but guests that do not speak the language, the number of guests, and their length of stay is moderated. Residents that invite guests to House Dinner must contribute more to the meal. More information can be found in the lease.

If you would like more information, contact

immersion.community@gmail.com,

visit www.clicster.org, or

call 1-801-369-3455.