On exchange!!!

Discussion in 'Expat Life' started by Habspurg, Mar 14, 2005.

  1. Habspurg

    Habspurg Member

    I am an American who has been traveling with my family as expacts, recantly I have been considering doing the foerighn exchange program with the program AFS, I am 14 years old and do not speak any germanic language except english I am expirenced with diffrent cultures and share an intrest in czech history and culture. In your opnion am I ready for this exchange or am I in over my head? Thanks
     
  2. Silatsiaq

    Silatsiaq Member

    What is AFS ?
     
  3. Habspurg

    Habspurg Member

    AFS is the "American Field Service" They have been doing things such as forieghn exchange for over 90 years.
     
  4. Sova

    Sova Well-Known Member

    First of all, Czech is a Slavic language, not Germanic. If you are considering studying in the Czech Republic, and already have speak more than one language (presumably if you live in Mexico, you speak Spanish as well), then you already will have an advantage over most students in the exchange program. Czech is a difficult language, but the young teenagers I have seen go there on exchange picked up the language rather quickly. Your experience will depend on a lot of factors, particularly your aptitude for learning languages and your determination to learn. In any case, I don't think you would regret the trip.
     
  5. Habspurg

    Habspurg Member

    Thanks for the info, also is the czech youth friendly, as I have lifed in countries were the society is very, well arogant, and I was wondering what czechs attitude was torward new comers.
     
  6. skate007

    skate007 Active Member

    hi, i am going on an exchange to the czech republic in 5months with Rotary! (this is a wonderful program. have you looked into it? i think it is cheaper too!) I have heard from an exchange student that is here (in minnesota) from the czech that the the youth is very open to exchange students and they tend to be very popular!
     
  7. Ruzete

    Ruzete Well-Known Member

    I have a question for the exchange students, how did you get involved in the AFS or Rotary? here in Alaska we don't have many travel abroad, only in 1 public school. DO you have to speak Czech fluently to go?
     
  8. Habspurg

    Habspurg Member

    Well it depands on the program your doing, you dont have to speak the language but it helps, and large programs tend to have state headquarters all over so maybe they have one in alaska.
     
  9. skate007

    skate007 Active Member

    Ruzete, no your don't have to speek Czech, at least for Rotary. I only know 4 words right now and i didn't know any when i got picked for rotary! so knowing the language is not required!
     
  10. Ruzete

    Ruzete Well-Known Member

    I went on the rotary website andcouldn't find where you can get in touch with the company to apply for an exchange student, i'm 16 and here in AK we don't have to many study abroad programs only to basically Russia and Mexico. So i've been looking into the programs, what were the requirements?
     
  11. haukur

    haukur Active Member

    As an former AFS student in the Czech Republic I can tell you that it's not compulsary to know any certain languages before going on AFS exchange. The only AFS country that requiers students to know the language before arriving is France. This, is at least, what I've been told as a AFS volunteer. And this is what we tell the AFS students in orientation here in Iceland. But, if I'm not mistaken, you might have to wait 'till you turn 15 before going, but that's all. No worries, you're as reasy as one can be.
     
  12. haukur

    haukur Active Member

    This is very true, Czechs are in general very open minded and nice people. They are usually thrilled by the fact that a foreigner would want to visit their country and study in it so they usually accept the exchange students as one of them right away. They are also very curious about different cultures and countries so I asure you that they'll be asking a lot of questions about you and your life "back at home"
     
  13. Habspurg

    Habspurg Member

    Thanks a lot haukur the only thing that is realy buging my parents about the program, is the price. Other than that I sugest evreyone to do it.
     
  14. usak

    usak Well-Known Member

    how much is it goin g to cost you? and how long would you be there-this sounds interesting.
     
  15. skate007

    skate007 Active Member

    Well, I am going with Rotary and it costs $1,400, but this covers a lot; a plane ticket, some insurance, language camp, orientations, suit jacket, business cards, and $80 a month! You attend school and live in your host country for 10-12 months.
    Hope this helps!
    ~Kaitlyn
     
  16. usak

    usak Well-Known Member

    wow thats not bad at all. People to people costs that much or more i think and you only go to those countries for A FEW DAYS . :lol:
     
  17. Sova

    Sova Well-Known Member

    Wow, Kaitlyn,

    I'd bet that your parents are actually saving money by sending you off! Hmm, maybe I should send my kids, too ... :D
     
  18. usak

    usak Well-Known Member

    I recently looked at plan tickets from the US to Iceland, so that my family and I could travel to where my father spent some of his childhood. Tickets just TO Iceland were about 1,000$ if I recall correctly.
     
  19. Leah

    Leah Active Member

    Hi, Habspurg -

    I was an AFS student to the CR when I was 16 and I learned a lot..in regards to language, my experience was that all of us AFS students from around the world studying in CR and Slovakia had an intense 3 week language camp before we lived with our host families; I must admit, though, I skipped class an awful lot and preffered the on-going lessons in the local pubs instead. My family did not speak English, so we had a mammoth dictionary on the kitchen table at all times!
     
  20. haukur

    haukur Active Member

    yup. something like that, possibly more. Judging by the price I'd guess Icelandair doesn't really want people to visit Iceland.
     

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