NWSE Blog

Stories from an Exchange to Japan

Apr 25 2018

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

Exchange Student Kasia from Poland
Apr 25 2018

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

German Exchange Student Leonie in DC
Apr 25 2018

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 »

Sara Swimming Laps around the World

Mar 23 2018

Recently recognized as “Athlete of the Week” by her local newspaper in North Carolina, exchange student Sara from Spain has had an awesome swim season! She has won individual titles in the 100 meter individual medley as well as 100 meter breaststroke, and also helped claim a victory with her freestyle relay team. Sara has had an amazing student exchange … Read More »

A Brief History of the English Language

Feb 20 2018

Many English speakers believe that English is a Romance language. After all, many English words come from Latin. However, English is actually a West Germanic language. It is much more closely related to modern German than it is to French! To understand why, we will delve into the history of English. Britain was once inhabited by numerous Celtic tribes, but … Read More »

The History of International Student Exchange

Feb 19 2018

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 »

New Year’s Around the World

Dec 20 2017

2017 is almost over and many people are getting ready for the new year. Here are some of the ways people celebrate the New Year around the world! U.S.A. In Times Square, New York City, a giant crystal ball descends down a 140-foot flagpole at the top of the One Times Square building, stopping exactly at midnight. At that moment, … Read More »

Christmas Explained

Dec 18 2017

It’s December, and that means it’s the holiday season in the United States! The holiday season can mean different things to different people and communities across the country. While some Americans prefer to celebrate the winter season in general or nothing at all, December brings several important cultural holidays, including Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa.  Regardless of what you celebrate this … Read More »

Five Unique Aspects of American Culture

Nov 15 2017

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?

Nov 14 2017

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 »

NWSE Pumpkin Contest Announcement!

Nov 07 2017

NWSE Pumpkin Carving Contest Winners! The first place winner of the NWSE Pumpkin Carving Contest is Marin from Japan! We had a tie for second place: Tim from Germany and Alizee from France.   So many of you submitted amazing pumpkins this year! We decided to give two prizes to the two students who got the next highest votes. Those … Read More »

“Taking part in this program was much more than living for six months in another continent with different people. I still can’t believe how close I got with my friends…

Chiara from Italy

“What I love the most about my exchange in America is my host family. I will definitely come back to America to see them and all my friends. The food, school,…

Sol from Spain

“At first when I was thinking of the exchange, could I do it or not… I was afraid… but then I came here and it has been so, so good. I am…

Leonie from France

“[My host family and I] had directly a good connection to each other. I feel now I have another family in America… We had a great relationship with a lot…

Lisa from Germany
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