Question 1

Does the child need to have any knowledge of country’s language in which the exchange will take place?

Accepted Answer

No it is not necessary to be able to speak the language, not even basic knowledge is required. Most children who participate in the immersive exchange neither speak the language nor do they understand anything. However, this situation changes very quickly after a few days, as they repeat the same vocabulary in recurring daily situations over a period of days and months.

Question 2

Why does Amicitia Mundi favour exchanges for a period of 6 months?

Accepted Answer

Experience shows that this is the amount of time needed to achieve the best results in terms of integrating into the new culture and making progress with learning the language. The first weeks are dedicated to adjusting to the new environment, after a few weeks the child has acclimatised, understands more and feels comfortable expressing her/himself. Generally, after the first 3 months, the child has completed the phase of discovery and integration in their new environment. From that time onwards, he/she feels comfortable and can enjoy communicating in the new language. It would be a shame to stop at a point where they have just begun to benefit from their previous efforts of learning the new language

Question 3

Why should I choose the support of Amicitia Mundi for an exchange?

Accepted Answer

Experience shows that during the exchange, misunderstandings or other difficulties can arise between the families and/or children. Therefore it is an advantage for all involved to be able to rely on a partner who can act as a mediator. The Amicitia Mundi partner provides support and advice to ensure a smooth continuation of the exchange. Amicitia Mundi fulfils these expectations and remain in close contact with the families and children before, during and after the exchange.

Question 4

What kind of families are we looking for?

Accepted Answer

Amicitia Mundi cooperates with families who:
Are available and have time to welcome a child
Are prepared to treat a guest child as one of their own
Caring, tolerant and open for new experiences
Would like to invest in the education of their child
Can accept, that their child will live with a host family with different routines and rules.

Question 5

Does the child have to have a good school record?

Accepted Answer

Being a good pupil is not a criteria or prerequisite for a successful exchange. The attitude and behaviour of the child is more important.

Question 6

Will the child be integrated in the equivalent school class at the guest school abroad? Upon return to his/her school, will he/she lose a year or will it be recognised?"

Accepted Answer

Yes, the child will be integrated at the appropriate level. However, it is mandatory that he/she is put in another class as the host child, to avoid that they are together 24/7. In our experience, no child has had to repeat a year as a result. He/she will return from their stay abroad with a school report, which certifies/proves their attendance during their absence.

Question 7

Why are the costs for French, German and Spanish speaking countries different to those in English speaking countries for the same exchange period?"

Accepted Answer

Many families would like an exchange in an English speaking country. Unfortunately, there is currently not enough demand from these countries to fulfil all requests. We are working emphatically on expanding out networks in these countries, which entails extra expenses in finding new prospects.

Program for intercultural and language exchanges with families abroad for children between 9 and 13 years

Frequent Asked Questions