LC Exchange Guide+School Toolkit - Flipbook - Page 7
When you have found a partner teacher and their management has agreed to a school
exchange, you can plan for the first year. You and your partner teacher will need to decide
on a time frame for the exchange, what year group is going to be involved, and to design
a programme in Ireland as well as a programme in the TL country. Once you know
which students are involved, they will have to be appropriately matched with exchange
partners, and then flights can be booked. As with any event, planning is essential.
It is useful to keep the following topics in mind while planning:
Affordability
Ideally an exchange needs to be as affordable as possible. An effort should always be made to keep costs to
a minimum. It is important not to forget that if it takes place during TY, there will be a lot of other outings,
etc. and budgeting can be particularly challenging for parents. Overall a school exchange should be far
more cost effective than a school trip, as there is no cost involved for accommodation and board. Some
teachers suggest that students should have a savings account devoted to the exchange. Others suggest
plenty of advance notice so that students can start saving up to a year beforehand, and that students
should be advised to get a weekend/summer job to pay for it themselves.
Age appropriate Some schools run school exchanges in 2nd year, some run them in 5th year, but a considerable number run
them in TY. Students have typically had a good three years of learning the language, and should be mature
enough to cope with being away from home. TY is generally more flexible than other years, so an exchange
fits in well. It is important to match students with age appropriate exchange partners.
Continuity
Exchanges work well where there is continuity because valuable contacts and experience are gradually
amassed.
Chronology
Some teachers find Irish students are more confident if they have already met their exchange partners. It is
worth considering inviting your exchange partners over to Ireland first, and then carry out the second half
of the exchange a few months later.
Commitment
Committed, hard‑working teachers who can share the workload are essential. It takes time and effort to
run a successful school exchange, in general it is not a one year project, it is something that is built up over
time. Patience and persistence is needed, particularly in the first few years. Teachers need to be willing to
spend time abroad, but ideally the workload should be shared by both the languages department, and
non‑language teachers. A whole‑school approach makes an exchange more manageable, and more likely
to be sustainable in to the future.
Communication Good communication on an ongoing basis with your exchange partner is absolutely essential, you need
to find not just a suitable school, but an exchange partner that you are comfortable working with. It is
important to be as open, honest and committed as possible. This applies to communication between the
Irish school and the partner school, as well as communication between the team members in the Irish
school, and with school management, students and parents.
Correspondence Some teachers find that correspondence before the exchange helps students to get to know their
exchange partners.
How-to Manual for School Exchanges
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