Have you ever been an exchange student? have you ever been a host family? how was the experience? how did your

Question

children treat and except the exchange student, and vice versa?

Answer 1

i've been an exchange student in the states ^^

Answer 2

I've been a host parent for 13 years and am looking forward to our 14th student coming in next year!

We don't have natural children, but I've repped a lot of people who do. The biggest problem they have is if there are two teenage girls that are the same age. There can be some rivalry going on there! For some reason, if the sexes are mixed or two boys, the problem isn't nearly as severe.

Yes! It's possible to have a boy and host a girl or the reverse! You keep a sharp eye out for a week or two and then they figure out that these are human people (especially a girl's attitude toward a boy) and they do yucky things! LOL

For tips and experiences from both sides -- try this on line community! http://www.exchangestudentworld.com/ It's written by current and former exchange students.

Answer 3

Mmn, being an exchange student was fun, if confronting and awkward. Especially when you don't know the language very well... and you got sick while there XP.

I don't think I and the other student had much in common, other than liking horses XP.  I did end up getting addicted to her favourite band, though.

I learnt a lot of the language, too. Particularly "are you ok?" "yes, I'm fine" "are you hungry?" "No, I'm not" "......does your stomach hurt?" "No, I'm fine" "are you going to eat that?" "No, probably not." "Are you ok?" "Yes." which was a typical conversation XP

Also "Have you read the last Harry Potter book? Who dies!?"(it comes out like this September over there XXXD).

Um, in terms of how the student treated me, we did try to have conversation, but it was very awkward, and is probably the most I've used a dictionary in my life. Best moments included when i stated that I needed to brush my eyes (instead of teeth) and when I confused the word for "rock" with the word for "cooked rice" *facepalms*.

I had other friends staying with students who went to the same school and caught the same train from the next station, so mostly I talked to my friends and she talked to hers XP.

It was rather confusing one night, when I ended up with one of my friends, her host student and a couple of other students in a mall, and it took me half an hour to realise mine was missing XD. She did turn up, eventually, for karaoke, but it was a little worrisome XXD.

A couple of years ago, we did host an American student. I think my tastes and hers were more vastly different than Yumi's- as in, we kinda clashed XP. She was quiet, and I didn't really have much to talk to her about- sorta the same thing as japan, but reversed. She did seem to like my brother's wild tales, though ("You see that bell tower? Yeah, its haunted. They it was a student, that jumped off it" XXXP).

Answer 4

Thank YOU for asking this question it's so nice to have someone to talk to about this... everyone around here is sick of hearing about my experience.

First of all if you're entertaining thoughts, go for it, it's a very rare opportunity that may never come again!

Yes, I was an exchange student in Mexico my senior year of college.  The first semester I lived with the most loving family, very warm, they just had boys and I think they always secretly longed for a girl lol.  The second semester I didn't live with them, I really would have loved to stay with them but they lived about a million miles from my college and I spent half my day on the bus.  I lived in a flat with some other foreign girls and two regular Mexican student guys.  If you don't have connections and you haven't traveled before, definitely live with a family.  On my third trip to Mexico I was fortunate enough to have  a loving family again, but not a traditional family- two guys, my friend and his partner.  They were very good to me and we still keep in touch, but the only awkward thing was that I didn't want to "out" them (unfortunately there are homophobic people in every country :()

I have never regretted my experience in Mexico, my best friend is from there and now a part of my heart is there.

You sound like you're entertaining thoughts of going abroad or being a host family.

I had mixed feelings about going because on one hand, it's overwhelming to leave behind so much that's familiar and commit to a year in a strange place... don't let that deter you!!

If you  have the chance to be an exchange student, do it, trust me it scares me to think about all I would have missed out on if i hadn't.  I was this redneck from Florida (I was a nice redneck NOT a racist but still a redneck lol) and barely could speak Spanish, and now I can play classical guitar, have made friends for life and I speak Spanish like a native, studying abroad was one of the best decisions I ever made.  

If you're thinking of staying with a family then it's good to keep in mind  a couple things:  I had nice host families, but if the school is finding you a family, ask for the names of other students who have stayed with them so you can get objective advice about how the students were treated.  

Another thing is that when you're living with a host family that there will be cultural differences.  You'll see things in a different light.  You don't say what country you're thinking of studying in.  No offense to anyone but at first my families seemed over protective by my standards... but from their cultural standards, they're being caring.  If you're sick with cold they'll ask do you need medicine?? Do you need to see a dr?  It was a shock at first but then I started to see from their point of view.  

I've never been a host family because my real family is too dysfunctional and kind of redneck (no offense to rednecks)... it might give a really bad impression of my country.

Please feel free to contact me if you want to talk about it!

As you can see I love to talk about my experience.

The only bad thing about studying abroad is the shock of adjusting and readjusting "culture shock."  My first two weeks in Mexico I had thoughts like "If I don't hear some country music I'm gonna explode" but by the end of the year I could dance mexican cumbia and was down with latin music and so in love with the culture.

PS I miss it so much I'm looking into going back to teach English as a foreign language.

The only bad thing about Mexico is that I didn't find a boyfriend there :(