Impact of Intercultural Exchange on Secondary School Exchange Students and Their Host Families

• Main Author: Manca Sustarsic
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Journal of International Students 2020-11-01
• Series: Journal of International Students
• Subjects: globalization; international exchange; international students; secondary school education; host families
• Online Access: https://www.ojed.org/index.php/jis/article/view/1042

The last decade has seen a significant increase of international student mobility and a growing popularity of secondary school exchange programs in the U.S. and around the World. By exploring participants’ cross-cultural experiences, the purpose of this study is to understand the impacts, challenges and rewards of intercultural exchange on secondary school exchange students and their host families. A case study with interviews was applied among six students who spent one academic year in Hawaiʻi on the FLEX and YES programs, and six volunteer host families. Findings show that intercultural exchange occurs as a two-way process. Both, students and host families, reap the benefits of intercultural exchange by way of daily interaction and culture sharing that is being enhanced by a positive student-host relationship. The significance of this study is that it sheds light not only on the student experiences but also on the experiences of the host families.