France or Spain for Student Exchange?

Where is the best place to be a Foriegn Exchange Student? (from America to_____)?

• I am thinking about being a foreign exchange student my junior year and was wondering where the best place is to go. I want to start deciding now so that I can start learning that language ASAP. I would like to have people give suggestions that have actually been a foreign exchange student. I've been kicking around France, India, Austria, Japan, Spain, and Nigeria. Thanks for your input! :)

• Answer:

  Well, well, well, I'll have to say Denmark :D Haha :b Well, I work for YFU-Denmark, and I am involved with all the incoming exchange students, and they all seem very happy to be in Denmark. A frequent asked question is why they picked Denmark: Danes think of Denmark as being small and not that important (very humble) and they will think it is very cool that someone chose to come to this country. I think a year in Denmark can be very good. It has those very "European" traits, so if you've been to Denmark, you will get a feel of Europe. It is very good to be young in Denmark. Young people are very independent, pretty much from you are 13, your opinion on most issues is valued as much as an adults. It is very uncommon for parents to make set rules, most things you'll agree on, where the kid has just as much to say as the parent. Also, and now I am only speaking for YFU, the danish exchange-program is very much thought through. As one of the only countries, we require that each exchange student has 2 contact people, and we host national meets 4 times a year + all the regional stuff, so no student is left to deal with problems on their own. Actually, Denmark was the "guide"-country when YFU reopened the Baltic countries as an exhcange destination. The only thing is, Danes are extremly good at English. And they are very keen to get a chance to use this skill, so you will have to insist on them speaking Danish to you, in order to learn the language. Anyway, I recommend you check out www.yfu.com, and see what countries they offer, and work your way from there :)