Should I do an exchange?

I've been offered the chance to do an exchange to France and if I'm honest, I'm not really keen on the idea.

I know that it would do wonders for my French, but the idea of spending a week on my own with a total stranger quite frankly terrifies me! Does anyone have any experiences (positive or negative) to share with me to help me decide. If it makes any difference, I'm going on a trip to France with the school anyway so I will get the chance to go visit the country, I just won't get as much practise with the language.

Thanks.

Reply 1

Dr. Blazed

Do it. If it does turn out you hate the people, you can always learn to insult them in French.

Reply 2

kellywood_5

I'm not sure whether I'd go on an exchange if I had the chance. I'd love to see and experience the country, and as you say, it would be a fantastic opportunity to improve my French, but like you, I'd be a bit nervous about living with total strangers. To be honest, I don't think it's really worth you going if you won't enjoy it just to improve your French. There are plenty of other ways you can practice your French, for example, getting a penfriend. I got mine through www.flale.com I know it's not the same as face to face conversation and you can't practice actually speaking, but I'd always be happy to have random coversations with you in French through PMs if you want! :smile:

At least the trip will give you some experience of France. I've arranged to stay with my penfriend next year, which is cool, and I'll be spending probably 5 months of my year abroad at uni there, so I'm not too worried if my school doesn't offer anything.

Reply 3

tash087

If you have the chance to go on an exchange, i'd do it. I did an exchange to Spain last year with my school and my some of my friends went to France/ Germany to do theirs. Everyone had an absolutely fabulous time. At first i was completely and utterly terrified about the thought of going on one and almost felt like backing out, but i'm so glad i went. I made so many friends in Spain and i still keep in weekly contact with my exchange and about 8 of her friends (i don't know why... but the Spanish are obsessed by MSN messenger!) She also gave me some advice or small pieces of info to help me with my AS Oral. The families are always so nice and will do anything to accommodate you, so it's really not as bad as you'd think.

Are you going with your school? If you are, it definitely will be fine because most days you'll see all your friends and go on excusions etc...
Oh yes, and most importantly it'll do your oral and speaking skills a world of good, as you really do start to think in the language. (When i came back i kept on speaking spanish by accident, all the time!)

So you should definitely consider it! :smile:

Reply 4

sashh

As much as you feel nervous, the 'host family' - can't think of a better word - will be worried that you don't feel comfortable and will do all they can to help.

I've not done a school exchange, but I've been on holiday a couple of times where I've stayed in someone's home and they have always bent over backwards to make me feel at home.

By the same token, my brother and family had a russian girl to stay (6 year old from Chernobyl area) and my family were so excited and wanted her to feel at home we all sent presents - i don't think that would happen with an exchange LOL.

Reply 5

PittGirl06

I am currently doing an exchange in France and I think its worth it. I have a single room in a dormitory so I have morre privacy than in a host family situation. I am glad that I choose this route, as I did not want to live with a strange family either.

I think it's worth it to go abroad and if you don't want ot live with a host family, try to look into alternative living arrangements.

I plan on doing another exchange next year around the holidays for 2 weeks while I am on break from my US university. The following summer, if I am not competely broke :smile:

I may go to Italy for 5 or 6 weeks for Italian.

Reply 6

mobb_theprequel

My exchange family were absolute wonkers: they hardly fed me & my mate - we were constantly walking to the hypermarket for food (some 5 miles away, no buses either!). :frown:

To add insult to injury, on the penultimate day - we discovered loads of food, in what appeared to be a broken fridge, in the garage! So we had no choice but to find an alternative use for its entire contents, ha. :biggrin:

Just reminiscing on the experience makes me sad though :frown:

- the bastard hosts made us go to the park, from about 6pm-10pm every day, so that we were out of their house! Their kids were also mean; and it came as a total and utter shock to me and my friend, when we discovered that the two kids had been locked in their room [with no keys in sight], on our departure. :biggrin:

Visit the place and stay in a hotel, or with somebody you know. I'm aware that not every host family is as gay as the one that I was lumbered with, but when you're paying money for 'the experience' - is it really worth taking such a risk?

Reply 7

tash087

mobb_theprequel

My exchange family were absolute wonkers: they hardly fed me & my mate - we were constantly walking to the hypermarket for food (some 5 miles away, no buses either!). :frown:

Just reminiscing on the experience makes me sad though :frown:

Wow, that sounds like you had a pretty traumatic experience... did you go with your school?
Luckily, I think pretty much everyone in my school has always had a really good time on an exchange, i mean, even if the actual exchange partner was awful, the family was always really welcoming.

The only person who i can remember who didn't have a good time (similarly to you, through a lack of food) complained to our teachers when he was there!
Food was never an issue with my 'host family'. They gave me far too much to eat -e.g for my packed lunch i was given four sandwiches, a massive family size bag of crisps, 2 kit-kats, a massive bar of chocolate, a whole packet of biscuits and 3 cans of drinks. (Unfortunately my friends and i ended up throwing away quite a lot of food - on one day between 5 of us, we filled up an entire bin with our uneaten food!)

Our school paired us up with our exchanges according to our interest (we had to fill out all sorts of forms and apparently in the mod. langs dept office, they all ask each other what we're like and then make the decision as to which person we'd be most suited to!) But it sounds that in our school we're pretty lucky!!!