[supa'Wanki]

I honestly do not know where this should go. =[ Please move if needed or delete if theres a topic like this.

My parents want to become a host family for high school students from Korea, but when I looked it up on Google there are very many choices to choose from, and some are just weird and not trust-worthy. I live in the United States by the way. It'd be great if you guys on soompi can give me some heads up on student exchange programs and some general info. i'm so oblivious about this =[

My AIM is F0ooood. Please IM me so we can discuss this.

[tatsuri]

I also would like to know more about this. My parents also are interested in becoming host-parents.

[NW1701]

Whatever you do, don't host through a program called CETUSA. They are HORRIBLE.

Right now, we're hosting a Japanese student through YFU (Youth For Understanding) and they have been great so far. If you guys have any questions, I'll try to answer them. =D

[Yubumsuk]

Be VERY careful, especially if it's any sort of religious institution. Some Korean companies are making big money off Korean parents, charging them a premium and only passing on a portion of it to the host family. The worst are the ones who present it as a 'charity' programme and pay host families almost nothing, with the family thinking they're doing a great cultural charity service; meanwhile the Korean family is actually paying the agency big money. Korean parents with money to do this expect to pay a lot, so you should expect decent compensation.

It would also be a really good idea to try to get a student similar in age to one of your family members, if possible. If the student is secondary school age, make sure they know the importance of papers and projects in the American school system (and the meaning of plagiarism). Korean students spend far more time preparing for tests that doing original assignments than American students. Don't be afraid to enforce rules, either; they're used to it and actually usually operate better when there are clear boundaries. However, if it's a very young kid, don't be surprised if the idea of a set bed-time doesn't make sense to them. While Korean parents can be stricter about a lot of things, enforcing bed-times isn't one of them. Getting to know Korean kids by things like playing board games or games like badminton in the backyard as a family also works really well and helps avoid some of the awkwardness they feel about being with strangers at first.

[supa'Wanki]

Whatever you do, don't host through a program called CETUSA. They are HORRIBLE.

Right now, we're hosting a Japanese student through YFU (Youth For Understanding) and they have been great so far. If you guys have any questions, I'll try to answer them. =D

I looked at the Youth for Understand site and it looks very appealing and safe, does the other programs let you see who your student is? Do you guys get paid for hosting the family?

Be VERY careful, especially if it's any sort of religious institution. Some Korean companies are making big money off Korean parents, charging them a premium and only passing on a portion of it to the host family. The worst are the ones who present it as a 'charity' programme and pay host families almost nothing, with the family thinking they're doing a great cultural charity service; meanwhile the Korean family is actually paying the agency big money. Korean parents with money to do this expect to pay a lot, so you should expect decent compensation.

It would also be a really good idea to try to get a student similar in age to one of your family members, if possible. If the student is secondary school age, make sure they know the importance of papers and projects in the American school system (and the meaning of plagiarism). Korean students spend far more time preparing for tests that doing original assignments than American students. Don't be afraid to enforce rules, either; they're used to it and actually usually operate better when there are clear boundaries. However, if it's a very young kid, don't be surprised if the idea of a set bed-time doesn't make sense to them. While Korean parents can be stricter about a lot of things, enforcing bed-times isn't one of them. Getting to know Korean kids by things like playing board games or games like badminton in the backyard as a family also works really well and helps avoid some of the awkwardness they feel about being with strangers at first.

Is it possible for you to give me some sites and/or names of the good korean programs? Thanks beforehand.

[Yubumsuk]

I looked at the Youth for Understand site and it looks very appealing and safe, does the other programs let you see who your student is? Do you guys get paid for hosting the family?



Is it possible for you to give me some sites and/or names of the good korean programs? Thanks beforehand.

My co-worker's son (I live in Korea) did an exchange programme to Canada a few years ago that worked out well but he's not in at the moment and I probably won't see him until next week - but I could ask then. I know of a few other people who've done them. But my perspective is completely from the other side of the ocean, i.e. Korean families who've sent kids over. I knew a guy who worked for an educational recruiting company in Seoul called NewSome Recruitment that helped arrange homestays. He was a really nice, helpful guy (when he wasn't drunk) but I don't know if he's still there or if the homestay programme his company set up worked out well.

[delighted]

YFU, AFS, and Rotary are 3 of the biggest and most trust-worthy exchange programs, IMO. Check out cultures-shocked.org, there's a lot of information there on both hosting and exchanging. I went through Rotary to Japan last year, and it was a blast!

[lovablekrnstar63]

i dont wanna host
but i wanna BE a foreign exchange student.
awesome!