15 May 2008 Travelling alone to another country can be a pretty daunting thing for a teenager. Even more so when moving in with a new family, starting at a new school, and basically trying to make a life on the other side of the world are a part of the package. But with this thought in mind, eight high school students from around the world will pack their bags for the ACT this August to embark on a student exchange through AFS Intercultural Programs. Now, AFS is offering residents in and around Canberra the chance to experience a different culture in their own home as a volunteer host family!
This year has been declared as the International Year of Languages by the United Nations General Assembly, promoting the idea that “genuine multilingualism promotes unity in diversity and international understanding”. Learning a new language is paramount to the AFS mission. The ability to speak another language helps to better facilitate an understanding of another culture, a notion which is at the very core of what AFS stands for.
This is something that Florence Hiernaux from Belgium is a big believer in. The 17 year old is due to spend one year in the ACT learning about Australia and broadening her cultural horizons. “I really want to discover a new country, another way of life and of thinking, to learn a lot of things and, of course, to meet a new family… I think it is very positive for both the host family and the student because we both can learn from each other!”
Florence has big plans for her future, and sees her AFS experience as an invaluable stepping stone to fulfilling her goals. “I really love languages, meeting new people and travelling around the world,” she says, hoping to one day become a translator. “Five people from my family have participated on an exchange program and they all encouraged me to do the same because it was a very positive experience for them. I’m really excited, now that my turn has come, to go and live a wonderful and different experience in your country!”
The benefits of hosting an exchange student affect the whole family. It is a wonderful way to learn about a different culture first-hand, and when exchange students return home they take with them a memorable part of Australian culture.
AFS Australia has been arranging exchanges since 1959, with network partners operating in more than 50 countries. They aim to promote tolerance and respect through greater intercultural understanding and learning. Anyone interested in hosting Florence, or any other AFS exchange student, should go to www.afs.org.au and submit an online application. Please contact Laura Frot on 0424 504 612 or email [email protected] with any questions.
AFS Intercultural Programs is one of the world’s largest not-for-profit community-based volunteer organisations and is dedicated to building a more just and peaceful world through intercultural exchange. A network of 52 AFS partner organisations run programs involving over 11,000 students, young adults and teachers each year. AFS Australia has sent over 15,000 Australian teenagers overseas and hosted more than 25,000 exchange students and community service volunteers since 1959. For more information about AFS, visit www.afs.org.au or email [email protected].
