Exchange students look through the window of language into the soul of culture

Lohmar 03.05.24.- Learning all by themselves - that's what exchange students experience, because they have a learning experience abroad that sometimes happens quite automatically: Simply through their participation in everyday life, the previous foreign language can become a confidently used language. It's not a new video game, it's real: new people, their world - and experiences that no textbook can provide. The other language 24 hours a day, everywhere, in the host family, at school, with friends. The young people who go abroad as exchange students with international EXPERIENCE e. V., for example, open doors to completely new ways of thinking, to the values and traditions of their host country.

Language is both a means of communication and a reflection of the culture that created it. Understanding cultures is like detective work - you find the clues in the language. Students learn to understand the culture through the language.

Time spirits and respect

Example: perception of time:

In German, you say "I spent time", implying that time is something you own and can use. In English we say "I spent time", which implies that time is like money, something you can spend. This is how differently time can be viewed: in German as something that you fill, and in English as a resource that you use up. To recognize this, you have to listen carefully.

Example Respectful form of address:

In German, "Sie" is often used in formal situations or as a sign of respect. In English, "you" is used universally, and there is no linguistic distinction between formal and informal, which shows a more egalitarian view of social relationships. Respect is shown _differently_.

Our language shapes how we see the world, much like a pair of glasses you put on. Through the way a language describes time, space, or anything, exchange students abroad learn how their host culture sees the world. Program participants for a stay abroad are therefore sensitized to these topics in the preparatory seminar at international EXPERIENCE e. V..



Cultural code words

Greetings, polite expressions and idioms can provide insights into social hierarchies and relationships. Language is therefore a tool of social order. Dialects, accents and jargon are used to form social groups and draw boundaries that often reflect cultural affiliation. Regional origin or education can be quickly recognized.

The better the young people learn to speak the foreign language and the more they experience and speak in the host country, the more intensively they can observe and classify cultural contexts. Misunderstandings become questions, and bumpy formulations become differentiated sentences.

Exchange students should be patient, open and curious. If they are prepared to think outside the box, language becomes their bridge to the culture of their host country, connecting both words and entire life situations.



Interested parents and young people can obtain individual advice from the student exchange organization international EXPERIENCE e. V. on which program is suitable for a time abroad. In online rooms, the experts, supported by returnees, explain the daily routine, school and host family. Dates can be found here: News and dates - international-experience.net

An initial personal contact is also possible at an education fair, e.g. in Darmstadt, Frankfurt, Dortmund, Augsburg, Osnabrück etc.

International EXPERIENCE e. V. Short profile

International EXPERIENCE e. V. advises and accompanies students and families for a year abroad in 14 countries. The employees of iE e. V. have specific experience. With colleagues on site or long-standing partner organizations, intensive preparation, continuous availability and a tailor-made online tool, they guarantee all the prerequisites for an unforgettable year abroad. Surpluses from iE e. V. are passed on to selected participants as part of a pocket money scholarship.

- Every year, around 700 exchange students go abroad with iE e. V. to the USA, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, France, Spain, Italy, the UK, Ireland, Argentina and Finland.
- The students prepare intensively in a two-day preparatory seminar in Germany, followed by a parents' session.

- A close partnership with international EXPERIENCE USA and its accreditation as an advisor with the CSIET Council on Standards for Educational Travel guarantee excellent support in the most popular destination country.

- iE e. V. has been certified by the German Institute for Service Quality since 2017 and is a specialist for Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

- Founded in 2000, 260 employees worldwide.

international EXPERIENCE e.V.
Amselweg 20
53797 Lohmar
Germany

https://germany.international-experience.net/

01726208618

v.wolters@international-experience.net

International EXPERIENCE e. V. Brief profile
International EXPERIENCE e. V. advises and accompanies students and families for a year abroad in 14 countries. The employees of iE e. V. have specific experience. With colleagues on site or long-standing partner organizations, intensive preparation, continuous availability and a tailor-made online tool, they guarantee all the prerequisites for an unforgettable year abroad. Surpluses from iE e. V. are passed on to selected participants as part of a pocket money scholarship.

- Every year, around 700 exchange students go abroad with iE e. V. to the USA, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, France, Spain, Italy, the UK, Ireland, Chile, Argentina and Finland.
- The students prepare intensively in a two-day preparatory seminar in Germany, followed by a parents' session.
- A close partnership with international EXPERIENCE USA and its accreditation as an advisor to the CSIET Council on Standards for Educational Travel guarantee excellent support in the most popular destination country.
- iE e. V. has been certified by the German Institute for Service Quality since 2017 and is a specialist for Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
- Founded in 2000, iE now has six representative offices worldwide.

This release was published on openPR.