Should you send your child on a language exchange?

The language exchange is made for children and teenagers who are able to play the game in order to integrate and learn. The key aspects to master during the stay are:

1) Linguistic immersion

The first week, the child who arrives in his new country and his new family will be able to speak in his mother tongue. From the second week, the foreign host family will have to answer in their own language. Your child will still be able to speak in their mother tongue. Then everyone speaks the local language, including your child, even if he doesn't understand.

Your child must agree not to read, write or speak French for the remainder of the language exchange. The only exceptions: when you send him mail and when you call him once a week. If children follow the immersion rules, your child will be able to hold a normal conversation after 6 months.

2) Integration into the host family

We expect the children in our exchanges to be part of the family, to live with it. They cannot have a foothold in every country. To do this, children must agree not to use Facebook or send emails to their friends back home and family. This is an important element for a successful exchange.

To become truly integrated into the other family, into the new country and community… they must be willing to leave their old lives behind for these six months. Of course, you can talk to your child once a week and he can write and receive 3 letters per month (maximum).

3) Respect

The first thing, your child must respect himself:

• NO SMOKING ;
• No alcohol consumption;
• Do nothing that could harm his body or his soul;
• Decide to be happy.

Your child should also respect others:

• Respect one's own parents and foreign parents;
• Respect his brothers and sisters in both countries;
• Respect their teachers in both countries;
• Respect the students of his class and his school.

If your child is ready to accept these rules and apply the advice we give them, then an exchange with an international family is for them!

4) For parents

Trust us! This is the first thing, perhaps the most important. We have experience of exchanges with international host families and there are several children who have completed several exchanges! So believe us: trust us! Everything will be fine for your child. When you are asked to respect the rules of contact between families and with your children, it is very important.

Trust your child! This is the second thing. Believe in his ability to fit in. Believe in him! He will be more successful in his exchange if you support him and he feels it.

Finally, plan a good dose of humility! Educators are undoubtedly the most difficult profession, but also the richest in human terms. One of the keys is to have that sense of humility that fosters relationships with each other. Thanks to the exchange, you will all grow: the children as well as the parents. At least, that's what many parents tell us after an exchange!

From what age to send your child on a language exchange?

There is not really a minimum age to send your child on a language exchange, it all depends on their maturity. The main thing is not to force it. It must be voluntary, it is the key to success. Let's not forget that a language stay is above all a vacation, not a chore. It is by leaving with pleasure that he will learn best.

Language exchange in Ireland

A language exchange in Ireland is the ideal choice to improve your child's English in Europe while avoiding traditional destinations. All host families in Ireland offer to study subjects related to the country, such as its history, folklore and music. It is a real pleasure to learn English in Ireland, and it will always be welcomed very warmly by the locals!

The Irish are known worldwide for their legendary hospitality and accommodating character. Learning English in Ireland is a rare pleasure, and few places in the world will give you a more genuine welcome. Language programs in Ireland are designed to enable your child to speak English with confidence from day one, there will be no shortage of people to speak to on this island with its reputedly very talkative inhabitants.

And that's where the role of HEBE Adventures comes in

HEBE Adventures is a contact platform that allows its parent members to organize language stays for children directly online. However, you create a personalized, friendly, secure and reasonably priced language stay for your child, individually or in a small family group, and regardless of where you want your child to go and also for the desired duration.

HEBE Adventures' reputation in the field of accommodation for English-speaking host families living in Ireland is that it offers parents a unique service package for their child, providing them with continuous assistance 24/7. 7 as well as coordination with Irish host families who are attentive to their needs.

Our HEBE Adventures host families provide your child or teen with accommodation and meals, organize excursions and social activities, offering an authentic cultural immersion in their everyday life. English-speaking host families in Ireland indicate their dates and durations of availability, and set the price of stays.

Member safety is Hebe's top priority. That's why we ask new users, as part of the validation process, to provide us with information that allows us to verify their identity and address. You can therefore choose an English-speaking host family for your children with complete peace of mind, focusing only on areas of common interest.

In this sense, your child will be able to take full advantage of his stay with the English correspondent that you have chosen yourself according to your own criteria.

That said, it will be smarter and easier to find the perfect host family for your son or daughter on our Hebe Adventures site. Join us now!