Host Family - Spanish student
Jul 5th, 2005, 12:15 PM
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Host Family - Spanish student
Hi,
We are hosting a Spanish student this summer. He's 15 years old. Any ideas of what he may be interested in seeing or doing in the United States? Aside from the usual day-to-day living?
We are hosting a Spanish student this summer. He's 15 years old. Any ideas of what he may be interested in seeing or doing in the United States? Aside from the usual day-to-day living?
Jul 5th, 2005, 01:53 PM
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Oh - I see from your lunch thread that you are in teh Boston area. I would think there is no end of places that would be fascinating to a teen.
I'm certainly not an expert about the NE - but now w/ the Boston info maybe others will jump in.
I'm certainly not an expert about the NE - but now w/ the Boston info maybe others will jump in.
Jul 5th, 2005, 04:20 PM
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I was an exchange student in high school, and I think the most fun I had was going with my family doing special things, whether it was an amusement park, visiting another family (giving me the opportunity to see more than one family lifestyle) and meeting other kids.
Since you're in the Northeast, I'd take him wherever you go, and make a special effort to show him some of the cool historical sites that are there. If you don't have teens of your own for him to hang out with, I'd try to rustle up a few friends' kids or nieces and nephews so they have a chance to meet American kids and see what they really live like.
You can pretty much skip any museum, unless it's a really outstanding one like the Smithsonian or something.
My host father took me to a street fair while I was in Brazil, and that was absolutely fascinating. Remember, everything we do is going to be compared and contrasted with the movies he's already seen, and the more exposure he gets to "real life" without boring him to death, the better.
Jules
Since you're in the Northeast, I'd take him wherever you go, and make a special effort to show him some of the cool historical sites that are there. If you don't have teens of your own for him to hang out with, I'd try to rustle up a few friends' kids or nieces and nephews so they have a chance to meet American kids and see what they really live like.
You can pretty much skip any museum, unless it's a really outstanding one like the Smithsonian or something.
My host father took me to a street fair while I was in Brazil, and that was absolutely fascinating. Remember, everything we do is going to be compared and contrasted with the movies he's already seen, and the more exposure he gets to "real life" without boring him to death, the better.
Jules
Jul 5th, 2005, 04:34 PM
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A couple of other notes:
Because of his age, he might get homesick...try and find out what his favorite dish is and ask him to help you make it.
Also -- Be prepared for cultural misunderstandings. Chances are, the kid you're getting is used to having things a certain way -- and may be surprised to be asked to do housework (you should, if your kids do) or may just misunderstand the meanings of why you do things the way you do.
When I had just gotten to Brazil, the family I stayed with had 2 maids and a gardener, very different from the modest home I came from in the States. The maids insisted on cleaning my room, and thought I was quite a slob (I was, but in the States, nobody cleaned up after me!) So it took a big conversation with my host father to realize that I had to pick up after myself so I didn't tick off the maids who would NOT stop cleaning my room. They even IRONED MY UNDERWEAR! LOL.
When I look back, that year back in my home country of Brazil tought me that everyone doesn't live like I do, and that it's OK, even cool that they don't, so don't try to be anything other than what you are so he can learn to appreciate you. Also use the time to learn about his home country and how he does things. All this can help build understanding, which is the whole point of a cultural exchange -- it's not one-sided!
Have fun,
Jules
Because of his age, he might get homesick...try and find out what his favorite dish is and ask him to help you make it.
Also -- Be prepared for cultural misunderstandings. Chances are, the kid you're getting is used to having things a certain way -- and may be surprised to be asked to do housework (you should, if your kids do) or may just misunderstand the meanings of why you do things the way you do.
When I had just gotten to Brazil, the family I stayed with had 2 maids and a gardener, very different from the modest home I came from in the States. The maids insisted on cleaning my room, and thought I was quite a slob (I was, but in the States, nobody cleaned up after me!) So it took a big conversation with my host father to realize that I had to pick up after myself so I didn't tick off the maids who would NOT stop cleaning my room. They even IRONED MY UNDERWEAR! LOL.
When I look back, that year back in my home country of Brazil tought me that everyone doesn't live like I do, and that it's OK, even cool that they don't, so don't try to be anything other than what you are so he can learn to appreciate you. Also use the time to learn about his home country and how he does things. All this can help build understanding, which is the whole point of a cultural exchange -- it's not one-sided!
Have fun,
Jules
Jul 5th, 2005, 05:33 PM
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We live about an hour from Baltimore, and this past April/May hosted a 16 year old French boy. I can tell you that he stayed with us for 3 weeks, and he loved lots of things around here. Probably most favorite was anything with teenagers. My daughters kept him busy with their friends, he just loved tagging along, even if it was a trip to Target! He loved the Orioles game we took him to. He loved the day spent walking around Washington, DC. He enjoyed the Balt aquarium, and even Fort McHenry tour. We spent some time in Hershey, PA, went to Indian Echo Caves in Hummelstown, PA, went shopping, hiked in a park, his group went on an all day bus trip to NYC and he was most impressed with TimesSquare and just the size of the city. He lives in a small town in Brittany. The group also spent some time for a day in Philad. where they were flying home from. It was such a great experience for us all and we have lots of funny stories and memories from those 3 weeks.
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