WE ARE SORRY TO REPORT THAT THE GERMAN OFFICE OF TERRE DES LANGUES IS NO LONGER IN BUSINESS. WE ARE WORKING TO FIND ANOTHER GERMAN COMPANY TO WORK WITH IN FUTURE YEARS.
If no or few dossiers have arrived for this group yet, it’s because German students get out of school in very late June to early July. Their stay dates often begin either in late July or August, and they often stay for about 4 weeks- sometimes into September (they’d LOVE to go to an American school for a day, if they’re here that late!) Since they travel as individuals instead of in a group, their travel dates are the most flexible, and are sometimes able to be changed to meet the family’s schedule. Check in often to see who we have, or contact Rich Olin to ask to be put on a “first call for German student” list.
Below are small vignettes about each student. We have a 3-4 page dossier on each student which includes a letter they have written to their host family, sometimes a teacher recommendation, full disclosure of their interests and activities, and pictures. If you see one or more students that you might be interested in hosting or knowing more information about, please let us know by filling out an Application so that we can help you choose the student that best fits your family’s lifestyle. Please note that filling out an application does not obligate you to host. Or if you’d prefer, feel free to Contact us with any questions you might have.
As a helpful guide, students are rated on their proficiency in English. The four choices are:
Easily Very well With difficulty With a lot of difficulty
Even a student who is labeled “with a lot of difficulty” has the basic skills needed to function in a family, has more English language skills than most American students have after three years of foreign language study, and you will be surprised at the fluency that has developed in that student after 3 weeks. Remember, Europeans begin studying their first foreign language anywhere from 3rd -6th grade, second language in 7th-8th grade, and if they choose a third, it begins in 9th or 10th.
Also, students are often quite open to joining their host sibling in summer camps. You just have to be able to get them in, somehow, once they apply since they’re usually signing up pretty late. But, if your own teen is attending a camp, students are often fine being in the host family experiencing normal American life, and waiting patiently until the teen returns.