By on March 5th, 2015
Make a Difference – Host a USC Language Academy Exchange Student
Being a host to an international exchange student can be a rewarding experience. Hosting a student requires a commitment and before you know exactly what’s involved, it can seem daunting, but it can change and enrich the lives of everyone involved. If you’d like to make a difference in someone’s life, consider hosting a USC Language Academy exchange student.
Length of Stay
A very common question many host families have is how long will the student be living with them. Our program has some assignments that last for 4 weeks, while others can be longer. Your family can learn more information through speaking with our field representatives.
Learn a Foreign Language
Not only is an exchange student coming to live in America to learn about the way of life, but the students truly want to immerse themselves in the language and customs. While learning English is the goal of many exchange students, your family can also learn a foreign language from the student.
Sharing Resources
Adding another member to your family means being more accommodating, compassionate and understanding. Every family has its own way of doing things and observes certain rituals and rules. Welcoming an exchange student means you have to take the cultural and language barriers into consideration when dealing with the family dynamic. You may have children that need to be understanding of the communication deficit and be willing to accept a person who may have difficulty understanding certain phrases. Sharing your life with an exchange student can be a challenge, but we understand and provide ongoing support for our families and students.
Developing Family Compassion
It’s common for an exchange student to be very proud of their homeland. Once a student arrives in America, it may be a bit of a shock to see exactly how it is to live here. Remember, some students might come from a country rampant with poverty and to see the disparity of American life can be disheartening. If you are a family considering becoming a host for an international student, consider taking your student to church or becoming involved in a charity in order to develop family compassion and give back to the community.
Academic Advantages
Did you ever think of how much an exchange student will benefit from American academics? Students who come to America to study have an opportunity that very few foreign students ever get the chance to experience. Through attending the USC International Academy, an international student will have access to one of the world’s leading research universities and can pursue their educational goals in one of four major study areas. The university offers an intensive English program, a pre-master’s program, an undergraduate preparation program and a master’s prep program. Your student is coming to the U.S. to change their future and you will be an integral part of the process.
Work with USH
There are many exchange student programs throughout the United States. However, if you live in the Los Angeles, CA, area, you can contact USH to begin the process of qualifying to be a host family. Welcoming an exchange student into your home is a big prospect and it can be made much less confusing through working with our organization.
Our students come from all over the world and will be residing in your home for between 4 to 10 weeks. Before you can accept an exchange student, you are required to fill out an application, receive a visit from our representative and if approved, our office will have your background check done. For more information about hosting an exchange student, please contact us.