Farmstay Programs
Real English, learned through real Australian farm life.
Kids & Adults · 7, 10 or 14 days · Beginner to Advanced.
English Levels
Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced — every activity matched to ability.
Programs Lengths
Choose the stay that fits — from a concentrated introduction to full immersion.
Dedicated Streams
A purpose-built program for school-age students and a separate stream for adult learners.
Every farm activity is an English lesson
EILA's Farmstay Programs run on an English-in-action model — students don't just study English in a classroom, they use it while cooking, shopping, budgeting, caring for animals, riding and grooming horses, swimming, and making damper and billy tea.
It builds on the core EILA approach: sentence writing, life-skills writing, budgeting, vocabulary, mathematics, debating and presentations — all applied outdoors, in real situations, not just on a page.
Farm & Animal Care
Caring for animals, riding and grooming horses.
Life Skills
Cooking, shopping, budgeting and water-safety communication.
Australian Culture
Making damper and billy tea, arts and crafts, team games.
English in Action
Presentations, maths, science, journaling and safety procedures.
The EILA English Closing the Gap Model
How EILA turns a Farmstay holiday into measurable English progress.
Assess
Every student completes an English assessment — speaking, listening, phonetics, vocabulary, grammar, reading and writing.
Identify the Gap
Teachers pinpoint specific weaknesses, such as sentence construction or grammatical accuracy.
Teach
Identified weaknesses become part of the student's daily lessons.
Apply
Students immediately use the English during cooking, riding, shopping, swimming, farm activities and games.
Review
A Daily English Evaluation and group discussion happens every evening.
Reassess
Initial level → learning progress → final assessment, showing measurable improvement.
Two purpose-built Farmstay streams
The same English Closing the Gap model, applied to the right activities and communication goals for each age group.
International Primary, Middle & Senior School Students
Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced levels, each available as a 7, 10 or 14-day stay — with the school-age level treated separately from English ability, so a Senior student can be a Beginner English learner while a Primary student can be Intermediate.
English Level Progression
| Area | Beginner | Intermediate | Advanced |
|---|---|---|---|
| Speaking | Basic communication | Extended conversation | Fluent discussion / debate |
| Phonetics | Sounds, pronunciation, word stress | Connected speech | Accent, intonation and presentation |
| Vocabulary | Everyday / farm vocabulary | Descriptive & functional vocabulary | Academic, technical & contextual vocabulary |
| Grammar | Nouns, verbs, pronouns, basic tenses | Tense consistency, clauses, conjunctions | Advanced grammar, conditionals, passive voice |
| Reading & Writing | Short texts, sentences & paragraphs | Paragraphs, structured composition | Essays, reports & persuasive writing |
| Maths English | Numbers, money, time | Budgeting, measurement, percentages | Data, statistics, problem solving |
| Science English | Basic observations | Experiments & explanations | Hypothesis, evidence & scientific reporting |
| Life Skills | Following instructions | Independent tasks | Leadership & problem solving |
Standard Daily Framework
| 6:00 AM | Wake up & dress |
|---|---|
| 7:30–8:30 AM | Breakfast |
| 9:00–10:00 AM | English Closing the Gap class |
| 10:00–11:00 AM | Life skills / maths / science |
| 11:00 AM–12:00 Noon | Farm activity / outdoor learning |
| 12:00–1:30 PM | Lunch preparation & lunch |
| 1:30–3:30 PM | Applied English & practical farm activity |
| 4:00–5:00 PM | Communication / vocabulary / cultural learning |
| 5:00–7:00 PM | Dinner preparation & dinner |
| 7:00–8:30 PM | Group activity / cultural activity / games |
| 8:30–9:30 PM | Reflection / reading / journal |
| 9:30–10:00 PM | Daily English evaluation |
7-Day Programs — Day by Day
Switch between levels to see how the same 7 days build in difficulty from Beginner through Advanced.
Objective: Foundation English Farmstay Experience — build confidence in everyday English communication.
Arrival, Farm English & Communication
- English Class: Greetings, introducing yourself, name/age/country/school, "I am..." sentences and basic pronunciation.
- Farm Activity: Meet the Farm Animals — cow, horse, sheep, chicken, feed, water, fence and stable vocabulary.
- Hands On: Horse grooming and cow milking, practising "This is a horse," "The horse is brown," "I am brushing the horse."
- Evening: Campfire and storytelling, then a Farmstay Journal — 5–10 sentences about the day.
Sentence Writing & Budgeting
- English Class: Sentence writing — nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives and subject + verb + object.
- Life Skills: Money & budgeting: Australian currency, prices, addition, subtraction, change and shopping vocabulary.
- Farm Activity: Horse grooming, followed by swimming and water-safety English (deep, shallow, float, lifeguard).
- Evening: Vocabulary Bee, Bingo Night and a reflection journal.
Verbs, Reading & Horse Riding
- English Class: Verbs and tenses — present simple, present continuous and past simple ("I ride / am riding / rode a horse").
- Reading: Short farm-related passage — identifying who, what, where, when and why.
- Farm Activity: Horse riding, followed by measurement maths (height, distance, weight, time) and shopping English.
- Evening: Lake watching and nature vocabulary, then charades and a reading journal.
Sentence Patterns, Arts & Culture
- English Class: Sentence patterns — affirmative, negative, questions and short answers.
- Activity: Group arts & crafts, then boomerang making and throwing.
- Culture: Australian culture and heritage, followed by phonetics and speaking practice.
- Evening: Talent show preparation and performance.
Adjectives, Cooking & Teamwork
- English Class: Describing people, animals and places — adjectives like big, fast, beautiful and strong.
- Activity: Group cooking class, then Life Skills — Cooking English, following an English recipe.
- Team Games: Sack racing, three-legged race and farm exploration.
- Evening: Treasure hunt and group games.
Conversation, School & Farm Science
- English Class: Everyday conversation role plays — asking for help, ordering food, shopping, introducing friends.
- Science English: Animals, plants, water, weather and farming topics with a farm animal learning session.
- Observation: Lake and nature observation, recording a Science Observation Journal.
- Evening: Group games and English reflection.
English Presentation & Graduation
- Assessment: Graduation preparation and an English speech — "My Farmstay Experience."
- Activity: Ropes and swing activities — low, medium and age-appropriate high-rope challenges.
- Culture: Australian wildlife and a final vocabulary review.
- Evening: Graduation celebration, final reflection and the final English evaluation.
Objective: English Development & Independent Communication — the same Farmstay environment, with students producing more English independently.
Communication & Paragraph Building
- English Class: Sentence expansion — compound sentences, conjunctions, connectors and descriptive language.
- Farm Activity: Horse grooming, then paragraph writing: introduction, supporting details, conclusion.
- Life Skills: Personal responsibility, then cow milking and farm vocabulary and speaking practice.
- Evening: Campfire storytelling and a reflective journal.
Tenses, Budgeting & Swimming
- English Class: Tense mastery — present, past, future and continuous forms.
- Maths: Budgeting mathematics and financial English — students create a farmstay budget.
- Farm Activity: Horse grooming, then swimming and water safety.
- Evening: Bingo Night, vocabulary challenge and journal writing.
Reading Comprehension & Horse Riding
- English Class: Reading comprehension — main idea, supporting information, inference and vocabulary from context.
- Grammar: Tense consistency, then maths — measurement and data.
- Farm Activity: Horse riding, followed by shopping English.
- Evening: Lake watching, environmental vocabulary, charades and daily evaluation.
Structured Writing & Arts
- English Class: Structured writing — topic sentence, supporting sentences, concluding sentence.
- Activity: Arts and crafts, then boomerang making.
- Culture: Australian history and culture, followed by phonetics and speaking.
- Evening: Talent show and evaluation.
Debate, Cooking & Teamwork
- English Class: Adjectives and descriptive writing, spelling and vocabulary.
- Activity: Cooking class, then debating — agreeing, disagreeing, giving reasons and asking questions.
- Team Games: Sack and three-legged races, then farm exploration.
- Evening: Treasure hunt and evaluation.
Science, Conversation & Cultural Exchange
- English Class: Science English — observation, prediction, measurement, results and conclusion.
- Activity: Conversation workshop and farm animal activities.
- Exchange: School / Australian student interaction and life-skills problem solving.
- Evening: Nature observation, group games and reflective writing.
Presentation & Leadership
- Assessment: Speech preparation, individual English presentation and peer feedback.
- Activity: Ropes and swing activities, then Australian wildlife.
- Evening: Graduation celebration, final reflection and final assessment.
Objective: Academic English, Leadership & Real-World Communication — Farmstay activities become opportunities for academic English, leadership and critical thinking.
Advanced Communication & Leadership
- English Class: Advanced grammar and sentence structure — complex sentences, clauses, conjunctions, sentence variety.
- Leadership: Giving instructions, delegating tasks, explaining procedures and resolving problems.
- Farm Activity: Horse grooming, then structured writing — a farmstay introduction.
- Evening: Campfire leadership activity and a reflective journal.
Financial English & Mathematics
- English Class: Advanced tense and grammar review.
- Maths: Financial mathematics — budgets, percentages, discounts and cost comparisons.
- Farm Activity: Horse care, then swimming and water safety.
- Evening: Bingo / probability activity and written reflection.
Reading Analysis & Horse Riding
- English Class: Advanced reading comprehension — main arguments, author's purpose, evidence, inference and tone.
- Farm Activity: Horse riding, then maths — measurement and data.
- Applied English: Shopping negotiation English and environmental science.
- Evening: Communication challenge and evaluation.
Advanced Writing & Australian Culture
- English Class: Structured academic writing — introduction, argument, evidence, explanation, conclusion.
- Activity: Arts and crafts, then boomerang making and throwing.
- Culture: Australian history and Indigenous cultural awareness, then advanced phonetics.
- Evening: Talent show and evaluation.
Debate, Cooking & Critical Thinking
- English Class: Academic vocabulary, spelling and pronunciation.
- Activity: Cooking class, then formal debate — argument, counterargument, evidence, rebuttal.
- Team Games: Team racing activities, then farm investigation.
- Evening: Treasure hunt, analytical journal and evaluation.
Science, Research & Cultural Communication
- English Class: Scientific English — question, hypothesis, method, observation, result, conclusion.
- Activity: Research and presentation skills, then farm science.
- Exchange: School / cultural exchange and a problem-solving challenge.
- Evening: Environmental observation, group leadership games and research journal.
Advanced Presentation & Graduation
- Assessment: Presentation preparation, formal English presentation and questions & answers.
- Activity: Ropes and swing activities, then Australian wildlife.
- Evening: Graduation celebration, final reflection and final English assessment.
10-Day Extension — Days 8–10
Development Extension — three additional days used to close identifiable English gaps rather than repeat the 7-day program.
Life Skills English & Independent Living
English Gap Workshop, horse grooming, group cooking, damper making and billy tea making around the campfire.
Outdoor English Challenge
High-rope and high-swing activities, level-based archery, and safety English — instructions, warnings and equipment vocabulary.
English Challenge & Graduation
Final English workshop, public speaking, group presentation, group swimming and sunset watching, finishing with a progress evaluation.
14-Day Extension — Days 11–14
Full International English Immersion — Days 8–10 continue as above, then progress into independent application and leadership.
Australian Farm Skills
Farm vocabulary, agriculture science, cow milking, horse grooming, a nature walk and farm report writing.
Creativity, Performance & Speaking
Speaking workshop, arts & crafts, boomerang making, a drumming circle and talent show preparation.
Challenge & Leadership Day
Leadership English, debate, an archery session, high ropes / high swing and a team challenge.
Final Presentation & Graduation
Final English assessment and presentation, Australian wildlife learning, graduation dinner and cultural performance.
Activity Level Differentiation
The same activity can teach completely different English skills.
| Activity | Beginner | Intermediate | Advanced |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cooking | Follow simple instructions | Explain recipe | Lead cooking activity |
| Horse Riding | Identify equipment | Describe experience | Explain procedures / safety |
| Horse Grooming | Vocabulary | Instructions | Leadership |
| Cow Milking | Basic vocabulary | Process description | Procedural writing |
| Swimming | Safety vocabulary | Give instructions | Safety presentation |
| Arts & Crafts | Identify materials | Explain process | Demonstrate & instruct |
| Damper Making | Follow recipe | Explain sequence | Write formal procedure |
| Billy Tea | Vocabulary | Explain preparation | Cultural presentation |
| Boomerang | Vocabulary | Describe process | Research & presentation |
| Archery | Follow safety commands | Explain technique | Lead verbal briefing |
| High Ropes | Safety vocabulary | Communication | Leadership / problem solving |
| Drumming | Follow rhythm | Give instructions | Performance |
| Bingo | Numbers | Probability | Mathematical analysis |
| Sack Race | Basic commands | Team communication | Team strategy |
| Three-Legged Race | Cooperation | Communication | Leadership |
| Talent Show | Simple speaking | Presentation | Formal performance |
| Campfire | Story vocabulary | Storytelling | Narrative presentation |
| Sunset Watching | Descriptions | Observation | Environmental discussion |
| Lake Watching | Nature words | Observation | Environmental report |
| Meditation | Body vocabulary | Instructions | Reflection |
| Charades | Vocabulary | Sentence production | Communication strategy |
Primary, Middle & Senior School Differentiation
English level and school age are treated separately — a Senior School student can be a Beginner English learner, while a Primary student may be Intermediate for their age.
Foundation Focus
- Phonics
- Vocabulary
- Basic sentences
- Speaking confidence
- Games
- Drawing & crafts
- Simple maths
- Simple science
- Practical life skills
Development Focus
- Grammar
- Paragraphs
- Reading comprehension
- Structured writing
- Conversation
- Budgeting
- Science experiments
- Mathematics
- Teamwork
- Presentations
Academic Focus
- Academic English
- Essay writing
- Debate
- Research
- Reports
- Critical thinking
- Leadership
- Financial literacy
- Advanced mathematics
- Scientific communication
- Formal presentations
Adult International English Farmstay & Australian Experience
Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced levels for adult learners, each available as a 7, 10 or 14-day stay, applying classroom English immediately through tourism, hospitality, outdoor and cultural experiences.
English Level Progression
| Area | Beginner | Intermediate | Advanced |
|---|---|---|---|
| Speaking | Everyday questions and answers | Extended conversation and opinions | Professional, persuasive and formal speaking |
| Writing | Sentences and short paragraphs | Structured paragraphs and short reports | Essays, reports and analytical writing |
| Grammar | Basic nouns, verbs, pronouns and tenses | Tense consistency, clauses and connectors | Complex structures, conditionals, passive voice |
| Reading | Short texts and instructions | Articles and information texts | Critical / academic texts, inference and tone |
| Phonetics | Sounds, word stress, clear pronunciation | Connected speech and intonation | Natural rhythm, emphasis and presentation voice |
| Maths | Money, time, simple calculations | Budgeting, percentages, measurement | Data, ratios, analysis and financial decisions |
| Science | Observation and basic vocabulary | Explanation and evidence | Hypothesis, analysis and scientific reporting |
Standard Daily Framework
| 6:30 AM | Preparation |
|---|---|
| 7:00 AM | Breakfast |
| 8:00 AM | Morning conversation |
| 9:00 AM | English Closing the Gap class |
| 10:00 AM | Applied English / life skills / maths / science |
| 11:00 AM | Australian experience |
| 12:30 PM | Lunch |
| 1:30 PM | Applied English |
| 2:30 PM | Experience or communication task |
| 4:00 PM | Vocabulary / reflection |
| 6:00 PM | Dinner |
| 7:30 PM | Conversation / cultural activity |
| 8:30 PM | Journal / reading |
| 9:30 PM | Daily evaluation |
7-Day Programs — Day by Day
Shown at Beginner level. Intermediate and Advanced learners follow the same daily structure, applying more advanced English targets from the Level Progression table above.
Arrival, Communication & Horse Riding
- English Class: Introducing yourself — name, country, occupation, interests and travel experience; subject + verb + object.
- Life Skills: Schedules, directions, accommodation, safety and personal responsibility.
- Experience: Horse riding class — equipment and safety vocabulary.
- Evening: Welcome dinner, adult bonding activity, conversation circle and farmstay journal.
Money, Hospitality & Queen Mary Falls
- English Class: Present, past and future tenses; ordering food and drinks, making requests and asking questions.
- Maths: Australian currency, prices, change and simple budgeting.
- Experience: Queen Mary Falls Café and day-out activities.
- Evening: Fine dining food and drinks experience; restaurant English; journal.
Reading, Phonetics & Bushwalking
- English Class: Reading comprehension — main idea, key details, who/what/where/when/why; phonetics and pronunciation.
- Experience: Bushwalking in Main Range National Park — nature vocabulary, directions and outdoor safety English.
- Applied English: Environmental science vocabulary and describing scenery.
- Evening: Group conversation, adult bonding activity and nature journal.
Sentence Patterns, Science & Dams
- English Class: Sentence patterns, adjectives and descriptive language.
- Maths & Science: Water, weather, environment, observation, distance, time and measurement.
- Experience: Visit to Moogerah, Leslie and Connolly Dams.
- Writing: Structured paragraph describing a place.
Australian Rural Culture & Rodeo
- English Class: Describing people, events and experiences; rural Australian vocabulary.
- Experience: Warwick Rodeo and Campdraft.
- Cultural English: Asking questions about Australian rural traditions and explaining what was observed.
- Evening: Adult bonding activity, cultural conversation and journal.
Recreation, Social English & Tourism
- English Class: Questions, answers, requests, clarification and everyday conversation.
- Experience: Warwick Indoor Recreation and Aquatic Centre.
- Life Skills: Social English, safety vocabulary and independent communication.
- Evening: Group recreation, adult bonding activity and reading/journal.
Presentation & Graduation
- Assessment: Reading comprehension, sentence writing, vocabulary and speaking.
- Presentation: Short speech — "My Australian Experience."
- Evening: Graduation dinner, adult bonding activity, final evaluation and certificate.
10-Day Extension — Days 8–10
Gap Creek Motorbike Riding
Safety and procedural English — equipment vocabulary, sequencing and (Advanced) a structured safety briefing.
Summerland Camel Farm
Tourism and business English — descriptions, recommendations and a short professional overview.
Southern Downs Steam Railway
History and heritage English, finishing with a final 10-day conversation and progress evaluation.
14-Day Extension — Days 11–14
Darling Downs Zoo
Science English — animal, environment and observation vocabulary.
Aloomba Lavender Farm
Descriptive and tourism English through sensory and agricultural vocabulary.
Benjurgen Estate Vineyard
Hospitality and business English — product description and professional conversation.
Heritage Rotation & Graduation
Final assessment, formal presentation and graduation dinner with certificates.
Life Skills English — all day, every day
Life Skills English isn't a separate subject — it runs through the whole Farmstay day.
Bedroom & Personal Organisation
- Making the bed
- Organising belongings
- Following routines
- Personal hygiene vocabulary
Cooking English
- Ingredients & measurements
- Recipes & cooking verbs
- Kitchen safety
- Sequencing
Money English
- Prices & currency
- Budgeting & saving
- Change & percentages
- Financial decision-making
Farm English
- Animal names & equipment
- Instructions & safety
- Feeding & grooming
- Environmental vocabulary
Social English
- Greetings & introductions
- Requesting & apologising
- Agreeing & disagreeing
- Turn-taking & teamwork
Independent Living English
- Schedules & time
- Directions
- Personal responsibility
- Planning & decision making
The difference between 7, 10 & 14 days
Every length builds real English through real activity — the extra days add depth, not just more activities.
Introduction & Immersion
Experience + Assessment + Foundation. Students experience Australian farm life while receiving concentrated English instruction.
Development
Experience + Development + Reinforcement. Three additional days let teachers target each student's specific English weaknesses.
Full Immersion
Experience + Development + Mastery + Leadership. Enough time to identify weaknesses, practise, apply, receive feedback and demonstrate real improvement.
See what our Farmstay life looks like
A mix of outdoor adventure, animals, traditional skills and creativity — every day builds real English through real activity.
What our students say
“The 7 Day Program exceeded my expectations. Before joining EILA, I was nervous about speaking English with others. The teachers were incredibly supportive and encouraged me to communicate confidently every day. After one week, I noticed a significant improvement in my speaking skills and confidence. I especially enjoyed the cultural activities and meeting students from different countries. It was a short program, but the impact was huge.”
— Yuki Tanaka
7 Day Program
“I enrolled in the 10 Day Program to improve my conversational English before university. The lessons were practical, interactive, and focused on real-life situations. The teachers made learning enjoyable, and the small class sizes allowed me to participate actively. By the end of the program, I felt much more comfortable speaking English and expressing my ideas. EILA provided a welcoming environment that made learning both effective and fun.”
— Minseo Kim
10 Day Program
“The 14 Day Program was one of the best learning experiences I have had. The combination of classroom lessons, speaking practice, and cultural immersion helped me improve my fluency quickly. The teachers were professional, patient, and genuinely cared about my progress. I gained confidence in both academic and everyday English communication. I highly recommend EILA to anyone looking for a supportive and effective English language program.”
— Carlos Mendoza
14 Day Program
Explore the Farmstay in full
This program runs on-site at EILA's Farmstay — see where students stay and what a full day of activities looks like.
A note on activity scheduling
Outdoor, transport, aquatic, riding and venue-based activities are scheduled subject to operator availability, weather, safety requirements, participant eligibility and venue rules. Listed experiences may be rotated or substituted while preserving the intended English learning outcomes.
Ready for the Farmstay experience?
Take the free placement test and speak with an advisor about the Farmstay programs that's right for you.
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