How can I organize my own Language Exchange trip Abroad
 

Hi people!

My name is Stephanie, I'm starting my senior year of high school this September and since my junior year I've been interested in returning to France for a Language Exchange. I did a short 2-week visit with my French class my mid-sophomore year I was studying French. I'm starting my fourth year of French this year and I feel pretty confident to go abroad for a Language Exchange. I would really like to live there for a while, at least a month after I graduate. Does anybody know how to organize a CHEAP exchange abroad for an American to France??? -Stephanie

What exactly do you mean by cheap? (Airfare alone is going to be more than $1K - depending on where you start from).

Any language school will have to be paid for - as well as lodging and food.

If you want a program in which you stay with a family that provides room and board you need to do that through one of the several exchange programs set up for that purpose. Not sure if they do summer programs.

We have hosted many exchange students from various countries as well as sending our daughters. I suspect that a cheap (and good) exchange programs are difficult to come by. If there are good organizations behind, they want to get a cut of the deal to pay staffs and overheads. If no oversight is provided to control the cost, you would get potluck experiences. The only instances I have seen cheap and good arrangement was made was through acquaintances: parents were friends for a long time and when their children reached their appropriate ages, they sent them to their friends' home for a month with only expenditures beging airfares and personal expenses. It suspect it would be difficult to come up with this kind of reliable arrangement on a fly without having nurtured relationships over more than a decade.

What do you really want? When you talk about language exchange, you are talking about some official program that is affiliated with a school. There is no other way around it. Otherwise there is no exchange. And given you are still in high school, I would say there is no way you can do this on your own, nor would strangers in a foreign country agree to host underage teen girls (I would hope) who are on their own. And you will need coordination with your school to get credit.

If you want to live in France after you graduate and not expect this to be some "exchange" program, that is much much easier, if you are 18. Just go to some official French university that has language programs for foreigners. Lots of them do, such as the Sorbonne and many other universities. The Sorbonne has one in July and August (you can choose 1 or 2 months, I believe). You can try to get university housing, many US programs that handle those arrangements will make it (you can do it on your own), or just choose not to and live wherever you want. I would not suggest that as the university-affiliated housing is extremely cheap and you meet lots of others that way.

I've been to summer programs at the Sorbonne and l'Institut Catholique de Paris, which I preferred, but both were good. Here are the linkes
http://www.ccfs-sorbonne.fr/?lang=en

http://www.icp.fr/fr/Organismes/Inst...ses-ILCF-Paris

As I said, there are such things at many French universities. You will have to be 18.

You can try the Institute in Tours. When my niece did her Junior (college) year in France, all the students first went to this school for a one month immersion course. She lived with a family while at this school. After the month was up, all the students transferred to various schools for the remainder of the academic year.

http://www.institutdetouraine.com/en

Lauryn -

I see you're a new member here - posting only on this topic. Not sure if you are associated with this organization or not.

But it would be helpful if you could provide more information - as in how hosts are screened so one knows the situation is legitimate and safe.

Lauryn_311, Thank you for your feedback... you actually forgot to mention if there were costs for Swapasap, but since you said it wasn't an agency and I am looking for something cheap, I was intrigued so I checked it out. I was happy to see that it was free, on their front page, so I signed up There's a huge variety of students from France (even Paris ;) )I'm really happy about this! I'm sure this will help. Thanks again!

Good heavens? Phannie - could it be that you and Lauryn are the same person????

Both signed up within a day or so to tout this service?

Sorry - looked at the web site and there is just something creepy about it. Looks like a place to recruit kids for child porn to me.

But Phannie - you really aren't a kid now are you?

>>>nytraveler on Aug 7, 14 at 3:05pm
Lauryn -
I see you're a new member here - posting only on this topic<<<

As is the OP now praising Lauryn's suggestion.

No -

Phannie is the OP. then Lauryn touts the service. Then Phannie loves it. Phannielove loves it!!!

Hi nytraveler, it's really discouraging to see your sarcastic attacks and wherever you're going with sites for recruiting child porn, whatever OPs are and touts of service... If you are some kind of site admin, that's a really immature way to deal with a forum post when my intention was to finding a way to do a trip abroad to France after my high school graduation this school year. My parents have taught me better to be ignorant and yet opinionated about subjects. I came to this forum because it seemed like a place where I could share my interest and seek related information and if a response from a member of your site giving useful information is deleted and replaced by your uninformed opinions and attacks I call that a poor way to administer forums and valuable knowledge that was shared in exchange for something absurd.

I am not a moderator and have nothing to do with pulling posts. Apparently the moderator did look at the site and decided it was inappropriate to list here - nothing to do with me except my opinion.

And really - why pick a name like that if not to get this sort of attention!

>><i>. . . if a response from a member of your site giving useful information is deleted and replaced by your uninformed opinions and attacks I call that a poor way to administer forums and valuable knowledge that was shared in exchange for something absurd.</i><<

The deleted post was not replaced by nytraveler's or any others. The moderators must have thought it was a planted advertisement - so they zapped it.

And you defending it makes it seem like you and the missing 'Lauryn' might be working together. No, nyt and the rest of us don't recruit for child or any other sort of porn - and I find it weird you jump straight to the 'porn recruiting' . . . are you sure you are quite ready for independent travel/education.

If not, . . . FYI to clarify --- "OP" means Original Post or Original Poster . . . In other words <u>you</u>. The only shady site apparently was the one linked in the missing post.

My goodness, Phannie. I think you've missed the point that nyt was trying to save you from possibly making a big mistake with a site that raised suspicions. Your future college should be able to arrange a good program for you where you can earn college credits and have a great experience abroad.

Since you have recently done a high school exchange, you can also contact the program you went with to see what else they offer or recommend. You want to be with a reputable, experienced program.

I don't know what would have upset so about nyt's words of caution. This is a moderated forum which appears to be something you do not understand. I doubt you will get much further help here if you are so quick to take offense because a post by someone other than yourself was removed.

You gotta love the name though =-o

Precisely - why pick a double entendre as your screen name?

So - did Phannie leave or was she removed?

it looks like she aufed herself (Maybe she really was working w/ the missing Lauryn . . .)

Hello Phannie,

I'm from Paris. I'm a mother of two daughters who studying English.

How old are you ? Maybe you are interesting in a exchange, one month in France in a French family and in return you are up to Accommodate a French girl in your own family for a month...

Where are you from in the us ?
This solution returns very cheap ...

Orquidea

Oh - another mysterious brand new poster - with a cute name. Perhaps a friend of Phannie and Lauryn?