PARENTING ARTICLES & TIPS

Foreign Exchange Students

This article discusses the experience of hosting foreign exchange students ...

Each year there are thousands of children who attend school in another country.  It isn’t because their families have moved during the summer.  They are foreign exchange students and their experience abroad is as much a part of their education as their classroom studies.

Foreign exchange students can be found in many different countries.  They have an avid interest in the culture of the area they’ve traveled to.  By living there they gain an insider’s knowledge that they could never garner from a text book thousands of miles away, back in their homeland.

Foreign exchange students embark on an adventure that includes living in the home of virtual strangers for months at a time.  The program involves recruiting host families who provide a place to stay as well as the essentials for the foreign exchange students. 

Host families are carefully screened and chosen based on certain criteria.  When a host family applies to the program they are asked if they have a preference regarding the gender of the foreign exchange students or the age.  The majority of foreign exchange students are in the mid to late teens. 

Once the host family is chosen they are given more information on the student that will be living with them.  This helps them prepare for their arrival.

The foreign exchange students in the program have studied the language and the culture of the country they are visiting and therefore have the ability to communicate with their host family.  Sometimes host families are surprised by the level of comprehension that the foreign exchange students have. 

Foreign exchange students also have to go through a series of steps to enroll and participate in the program.  Being away from their homes and familiar surroundings can be difficult and therefore they are normally expected to undergo several psychological tests including speaking with a professional.  It’s important for the foreign exchange students, their parents and the host family that the children are able to handle and embrace the experience.

Many foreign exchange students become an honorary member of the family they visit.  When their visit has ended and it’s time for them to return home it can be a bittersweet experience.  It can also be difficult for the host family as they have to say goodbye to the young person who lived with them for months. 

Whether you are one of the foreign exchange students or part of the host family the experience can be one of the most enriching and rewarding things you will ever do.

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