LC Exchange Guide+School Toolkit - Flipbook - Page 11
Personal Exchange
A personal exchange involves an Irish student living with a
family in the Target Language country, and depending on the
time of year, attending school with the exchange student.
The Irish family then reciprocates by hosting the exchange
partner, and depending on the time of year, the exchange
student will attend school with the Irish student.
Percentage of respondents in our survey
stated that they encourage students to
do personal exchanges through their own
personal contacts.
)
)
56%
56%
Percentage of respondents stated that their
school would welcome an exchange student
to the school for a term, this statistic includes
both fee‑paying and non‑fee‑paying schools.
Students can organise a personal exchange through
family or friends, or a contact they have made through
the school exchange. As Erasmus has been in place for
over 35 years, there are a significant number of parents,
family members, etc. who have contacts abroad. A
personal exchange can be a very cost effective way
of spending a considerable period of time abroad.
Staying with a host family for a term, and then hosting
the partner student for a similar time frame, means
the only significant outlay is the cost of the flights.
The real advantage of a personal exchange over a school
exchange is that there are no other Irish students to
talk to, therefore immersion is particularly effective.
As with the school exchange, this is an opportunity
for students to become more independent, and
open‑minded, as well as to improve their language
skills. It is also an opportunity for the student’s family
to experience another culture and another outlook
on life through hosting an exchange student.
How-to Manual for School Exchanges
9
