Monday, January 14, 2013
I'm Getting a Foreign Exchange Student From Germany through AFS and I dont know what kinds of events to do?
I'm Getting a Foreign Exchange Student From Germany through AFS and I dont know what kinds of events to do?
ok so my parents decided to sign up for afs to get a kid from another country. we got a girl from germany and she's 16. she's into soccer, piano, flute, swimming, and basketball. she has a younger and older brother. our problem is that we don't know what kind of activities to do to get her to know our culture and everything. my mom had great grandparents from germany and she knows some of the language. we would like to do something inexpensive because my parents have to pay for me, the foreign exchange student, and my two younger sisters, so something a good price. we r already going to d.c. for a day and going in a submarine in philly. she come in mid august so there's not a lot of time for a big trip. Thanks!
Other - Europe - 3 Answers
Random Answers, Critics, Comments, Opinions :
1 :
If u are going to d.c., Smithsonian and the National Gallery are must sees. Comparable with some things European. Walmart, or a shopping mall and a multiplex movie house or an iMax -- they don't have in Germany. Get her a Chicken Fried Steak (a good one, not a huge or greasy one) and show her our restaurants are 1/2 price of Germany restaurants.
2 :
First, don't try > too hard < to introduce her to local culture right away. Give her time to get to know your family and for you to know her as a person (not just a resume). Do whatever normal things you would do anyway and take her along. That includes mundane activities like going grocery shopping or renewing a driving license. Adjust your activities as you find out what she likes and what she wants to do in America. Also remember she will be affected by the time change. She will probably awaken really early in the mornings (ex. 3:00am) and be really sleepy by 6:00pm. She will be over it in about a week, but keep that in mind when planning activities. She probably knows much more about America than you know about Germany. Much of what she knows will be from TV and cinema, which are usually gross exaggerations of reality, so don't be surprised if she has some fairly strange preconceptions about the USA (don't make fun of her!). Do some research on Germany (and Europe) in general and on the part of Germany she's from in particular. It will help your family A LOT to know about where she is from. Finally, people who move somewhere else go through a series of emotional periods - and it can be worst for teens. At first, everything/everyone is interesting & wonderful. After a while (usually a month or so), the new place is annoying and "stupid" (not as good as home). It's a form of homesickness. Eventually, almost everyone adjusts and the new place becomes "normal". It helps to stay in contact with friends & family at home and the Internet now can help make that affordable. Encourage her to call home regularly via through-the-internet phone services like www.skype.com - and getting a care package (with familiar goodies from home) is a happy event.
3 :
Give her time to adjust to the time zone. Took me a over a week going from US to Europe because I was so excited in a new place. Ask her exchange organization what they provide students such as trips/excursions and orientations. Over the year, mine provided a week long orientation with language immersion at a youth hostel and included a trip to a small town, then a couple of weekend orientations during the year, and a mini Spring Break trip to London. My host family had already planned a summer vacation. They also did weekend trips. Sometimes this included visiting friends and relatives in different towns. I attended some recitals, a kid's fashion show, flea markets, etc. with the family. Look at what you have locally. Universities and colleges have a variety of cultural, arts, and sporting events. High school in the US often have a variety of activities that European schools don't often have as part of their regular curriculum (in Europe, sports and music are usually taught in clubs or special after hours schools). Many towns have a fall or spring community events such as street fairs and art walks. I've known some exchange students who got involved in community programs such as Habitat for Humanity. Church youth often have a variety of activities throughout the year. As you get to know her, ask her what she'd like to see.
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