In other countries, being an exchange student means going through a lengthy and competitive selection process, which often includes a series of tests or interviews. In most cases, students must be recommended by their teachers for the program. Being selected as an exchange student singles you out among your peers. You passed the tests, you got the recommendations, and now you’re going to represent your country and community abroad.
Even before you leave your country, your school or community may honor you in a formal way because you are taking part in the exchange program. In your host country, you continue to be an extraordinary person, treated specially perhaps, because you are an exchange student. But you are also extraordinary because you are completely outside of your normal environment. You have come to a new family, a new community, and a new school. You find yourself among strangers. How do you fit in? Where is there something familiar for you? Your Role in the Family. The exchange organization has placed you in a host family for two reasons. The first is because the family is the heart of a culture, and you will learn the most in this setting. The second is because the family can offer you support as you try to cope with the many changes you’ll face during your year abroad. What will your role in the host family be? The exchange student and host-family relationship is not one that has a long precedent in most cultures. Frequently students and their families begin their experience by trying to fit each other into roles that are familiar to them. Most often these roles are inappropriate. You are not a houseguest. One familiar role is that of the houseguest. You have no doubt been a houseguest at some time when visiting a friend or relative in another city. You probably stayed for only a few days or at most a few weeks. When you are a houseguest, the family you’re visiting prepares special meals for you, takes you sightseeing, and otherwise tries to keep you entertained. They may use the best dishes while you’re visiting. You may be given the best bed. You are not asked to help with the housework. Every effort is made to be sure you are comfortable and to make your short-term visit pleasant. You are not a houseguest. One familiar role is that of the houseguest. You have no doubt been a houseguest at some time when visiting a friend or relative in another city. You probably stayed for only a few days or at most a few weeks. When you are a houseguest, the family you’re visiting prepares special meals for you, takes you sightseeing, and otherwise tries to keep you entertained. They may use the best dishes while you’re visiting. You may be given the best bed. You are not asked to help with the housework. Every effort is made to be sure you are comfortable and to make your short-term visit pleasant. You are not a housekeeper or babysitter. While you will probably be asked to do your share of the household chores and may, from time to time, be asked to take care of any small children in the home, you should not be doing more work than is expected of the other members of the family. You have not come to do domestic work for your host family, but to learn and to share in their family life. If you are not any of these things as an exchange student, what are you? Are you a member of the family? In many ways you are like a member of the family. The host parents assume responsibility for your basic well-being. Like any parents, they make certain that you have enough to eat and have a comfortable room. They are concerned about your health and your adjustment to school. They are interested in you, and ultimately they will worry about you. In other important ways you are not fully a member of the family. You have not shared their experiences and do not share their memories, even though they will likely tell you stories about things that have happened to them in the past and show you photos or videos of some of these events. You may feel this difference sharply when the family members get together with other relatives. And what should you call them? You cannot go through the entire year tapping them on the shoulder or waiting to get their attention before speaking to them simply because you do not know what to call them. Use essay help for writing best essay about exchange. Many exchange students call their host parents “Mom” and “Dad” or whatever names the other children in the family use to call their parents. Typically, these terms are different from the words for “Mom” and “Dad” in their own language, which can be reserved to refer to their parents back home. Other exchange students prefer to use the first names of their host parents or select an affectionate nickname to use. Some students simply ask their hosts, “What would you like me to call you?” Whatever you decide, you should settle this issue right at the start because having no name to call your hosts is uncomfortable for everyone.
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November 2017
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