How to host a foreign exchange student from japan?

I want to be a foreign exchange student?(Japan)?

• Hello,I am 15 years old and in my final year of senior school currently doing my GCSE's. i want to become a foreign exchange student (Japan) but i am not sure how to do it and i have sooo many questions, for example: 1.) Would my family have to be a host family for someone from japan while i am there? 2.) How much will it cost? i live with my mother (whom is a single parent) and i'm worried it will be too expensive, and if it is, is there anything i can do? 3.) Do i have to take a japanese course in college? is there any requirements saying that i have to do so? or can i just learn from home? of course i will make sure i know it well enough to get by. I love japan and i am very open minded and curious and would love

• Answer:

  I am Canadian and have had two exchange students from Japan and one from Korea. The Korean one was eleven years old and spoiled rotten, her dad paid for everything. The first Japanese one I didn't know well, I was younger. The second Japanese one came from a low income family; single mom, herself and a younger brother. She worked full time for three years, saving every penny, to have enough to come here for a year. She was able to do this while keeping her grades excellent, she was incredible. It is very expensive to be an exchange student. They have to pay for the flights, the teachers (they had someone in Canada continue to teach them what they would learn in school back home, an 'allowance' to her host family that was about $600/month, the field trips, and many other expenses. It's about $10,000 for one year. I was given an opportunity to be an exchange student (not to Japan, most likely Switzerland or Sweden) for six months and it was over $4000. It's not cheap. I don't think I have ever come across a situation where the families actually 'exchange' kids. But every agency will be different. You will need to be fluent in your new country's language in most cases, usually several years of language classes. If your school doesn't offer Japanese you would have to go to a college and take them while you are home, which would probably be $2000 minimum and it would probably take two years because you can only take one level at a time. However, the opportunity I was given to be an exchange student was unique in that it wasn't required that I speak the same language as my new host country, although they recommended knowing the basics. It was a complete immersion experience. It was through the Rotary Exchange, I doubt it's only Canadian so go ahead and look it up if you're not from Canada. That's the most advice I can give you. Being an exchange student is an amazing and rewarding opportunity, if you can afford it and you think you can handle being away from home in a strange new environment. The last thing I would suggest is googling culture shock. Good luck!