Have you hosted a foreign exchange student?
I'm considering hosting a 17 year old high school student from Italy. I know that I will get more information at orientation, but I'm wondering what kinds of real life experiences some of you might have that you'd be willing to share with me. Unexpected things happening...emergencies...money issues...language/communication problems...and good stuff too, of course! How did the student impact your day-to-day life? How did s/he get along with your children? Did you learn anything from your student? I'm interested in your experiences and your responses! Thank you.
Studying Abroad - 2 Answers
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1 :
i was an exchange student so i can tell you about that. it was one of the most wonderful things i have ever done my family were lovely and i made some great friends. of course it is sometimes hard. i depends on how long you have your student for? you really need to be considerate of them make sure that they know that if they have a problem you are there to help. put Your self in their shoes and imagine how hard it is to live in a different country without your family. language is hard at first but if you are there to help them learn then that is the best way to over come that.. money i didn't really have problems apart from if you go out as a family make sure that your family doesn't pay for just you and not your student :( but mostly just do it.. it is an amazing experience and you will have a new family member learn lots about your self and the student and one day you might be able to visit them in italy good luck!
2 :
I've been hosting for 15 years. Out of those, 13 were fabulous. So, that's pretty good odds! The first thing to remember is that your student is a member of your family and NOT A GUEST. He or she should participate in all your family activities to include chores, visits to grandma, and whatever you do! You should not force them to attend church however if they are not willing. As to money, a high school foreign exchange student comes expecting to pay for all personal expenses and especially medical ones. They should have their own medical insurance and most have insurance that covers other things as well (breakage, accidents, etc.). It's best to get the insurance information as soon as they arrive. This is important: YOU DO NOT PAY ANY MEDICAL BILLS OR SIGN FOR THEM. You can authorize treatment as a guardian but you are not responsible for medical bills. You should not pay for any of your student's school expenses -- text book rental, pay to play, etc. Depending upon your program you may or may not pay for school lunches. The same goes for sports shoes, T-shirts, uniforms, etc. As for other activities, here is how I put it to our host families ... "If you go out to dinner and a movie as a family, pay for your student. If he or she is out on his/her own with friends, they pay for themselves." If you don't have teenagers at home, ask the school counselor or a teacher to find some teens that will "mentor" your student. There are things only teenagers know -- especially at school! Have them take your student shopping for American clothes, introduce them to others, etc. With an Italian, language could be a bit of an issue at first. One trick is to never ask a "yes" or "no" question. They will most likely answer "yes" to be polite and not really know what you said. Ask them to repeat it! Fortunately, Italians learn English easily! Another thing, don't let them be on the computer back home too much. Communicating in Italian will definitely hurt his/her English ability. You may be doing some homework help in the beginning too. We don't have natural children, so the it does indeed affect our life when our kids get here! We go to their athletic events, have friends in the house, yell at them to turn the music down, and make lots of popcorn! But it's a lot of fun. We've also had the fun of going to Europe three times now to visit - a definite plus to the experience. I always try to have a relationship with the student's parents by letter or e-mail as well. That's helpful. Hope that helps some! Have fun!
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