Until July 21st a group of Japanese students will call Okotoks their home.

The 17 students are here with their teachers through the Muskoka Language International program and now get to take what they've learned through English classes in Japan and practice it while exploring Canadian culture in the Great White North.

Muskoka Language International Program and Homestay Coordinator Kristin Lindved says the MLI program has a little bit of everything.

"The groups from Japan have come to Okotoks to be immersed in English and generally they have English language classes in the morning, do local tours in the afternoon and then they spend evenings and weekends with their homestay families who are all from the Okotoks area."

While here the group has discovered Okotoks and it's history, will visit the University of Calgary, take a trip to Banff and Lake Louise and many other fun activities.

Lindved says she's noticed that the students have been surprised by Canada a couple of different times.

"You can certainly tell they are impressed by the wide open nature, the space and green areas within Okotoks, the big open sky of course. They are also noticing how friendly everyone is because as we have been walking around Okotoks people are saying 'Hi' because we usually don't have big tourists groups coming through Okotoks."

The program is a great opportunity for both students and homestay families and Lindved says the families are really enjoying learning about Japanese customs as well.

"I've already had one family and this is already only three days in that this is the best thing they've decided to do this summer, so it's really neat. The cultural learning is going both ways for sure and a little bit of the language too. Some Japanese is being picked up by people from Okotoks and I think it's really special."

The MLI program has been running for about ten summers now in Okotoks.

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