Stories from an Exchange to Japan
Student exchange goes both ways! NWSE not only brings high school students from other countries to exchange in America, but also sends American students overseas. Chris, a high school student from Seattle, Washington, had an amazing time exchange the past nine months with his host family in Osaka, Japan. Chris took a moment to share his experience with us, as well as … Read More
Stellar Student of the Month: Kasia from Poland
We are honored to have so many stellar students in our program every year – they are the reason we do what we do! This month, we would like to introduce Kasia from Poland, who has enriched her host community in Idaho with her zest for life and contagious positive attitude. Congratulations, Kasia, and thank you for being so stellar! … Read More
Stellar Student of the Month: Leonie from Germany
We received so many amazing April nominations for Stellar Student of the Month, we couldn’t choose just one! This month, we would also like to introduce Leonie from Germany, who has been a rock star in the classroom and has brightened the lives of her host community in Texas. Danke schön, Leonie! What surprised you most when you came to … Read More
The History of International Student Exchange
According to the 2016 Open Doors Report from the Institute of International Education, over one million exchange students were enrolled in American universities and schools during the 2015-16 school year. And this number continues to grow. There’s no doubt that international exchange is an established tradition in the U.S.—but how did it all begin? International student exchange was largely catalyzed … Read More
Adjusting to U.S. Schools: A Student Essay
My name is Justine, and I am from a small, beautiful city in France. I will be spending a whole year in the U.S. I live in a host family because I came alone. I decided to come to the U.S. because I wanted to follow my sister, who did an exchange a few years ago and now works in … Read More
Five Unique Aspects of American Culture
People traveling to the U.S. often come with an idea of what American life and culture is like, based on what they see in movies and TV shows. One might imagine skyscrapers, bustling city streets, and road trips down Route 66. But how do these ideas measure up to reality? 1. The U.S. is big Travelers from other countries, especially Europe, … Read More
Can language change the way we think?
Have you ever been sitting in your language class and wondering why some words in your native language cannot be directly translated to the language that you are learning? Why does it seem that one language represents the same idea differently than another? Linguists throughout history have been interested in this very question. Edward Sapir and Benjamin Lee Whorf studied … Read More