Definition of a Foreign Exchange Student
Foreign exchange programs last anywhere from six to 10 months, though some can last over a year. Many foreign exchange students are drawn from high schools, but some students come from the ranks of higher education. Although there is no strict definition for a foreign exchange student, there are a few broad characteristics that delineate exchange students and separate them from international students or students in study-abroad programs.
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The misleading term "exchange"
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It is normal to think that exchange student programs are organized to swap two students from different countries. In the Simpsons episode “The Crepes of Wrath,” such an exchange takes place when Bart is sent to France under the auspices of studying while an Albanian student is sent to take his place in the Simpsons' home. But this isn’t the only way exchange programs work. Students may also take up temporary residence with a family in a foreign country without taking another student’s place.
The goal of exchange programs
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The idea of foreign exchange programs was developed in the years following World War II with the aim of broadening young students’ cultural understanding and tolerance of other peoples. The “exchange” that takes place is that of ideas and culture, sometimes even of language. Part of the idea was to imbue the young foreign students, and well as host countries that took in Americans, with a positive impression of the United States. Many programs require that students possess at least basic conversational skills in the language of the host country. Programs also assume that students will do their best to naturalize themselves in the local social circles and culture, and then give presentations to the sponsors of their trip or to their original schools.
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Required documents
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In the United States, it is not possible for a student from another country to stay for an extended period of time without applying for and being granted the proper documents. One option is the J-1 Exchange Visitor Visa, which applies to post-graduate students, medical students coming to work as interns or residents, or university students hired by universities to act as temporary faculty members. An M-1 Student Visa is an option that allows high school students to come and study. Most visas for students only last for the length of the classes being attended, with a month or two of additional time after classes have ended for the student to experience some of the other areas of the host country they did not have the chance to visit during school. The US Immigration informational site in the Resources section has a great deal of helpful tips for non-immigrant students coming to study in the United States
Living arrangements
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Just as there is no strict definition of how long students stay abroad or of what the goals are of their study, there is a wide variety of options for living arrangements for students that embark on the exchange program. Often if the programs take place during the summer and there is a large volume of students, a local university can open its dorms for students to stay in. Students may also opt to rent an apartment. However, the most popular option is for a student to stay in the house of a local volunteer, who will provide housing and often meals for the student during their stay in the host country, and bear some responsibility for getting the student involved in the local culture and society.
The foreign exchange student in popular culture
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The exchange student has been portrayed as a stereotype of their respective cultures in movies during the last couple of decades. In the movie “Sixteen Candles,” the exchange student Long Duk Dong is unable to use a fork and spoon properly, but manages to use them similar to chopsticks. Üter, a foreign exchange student that makes a permanent home in Springfield, is depicted by the Simpsons writers as a roly-poly Austrian boy whose mouth is frequently stained with chocolate. For females, the stereotype is that the exchange student is sexually amoral and is destined to be lusted over, such as with Nadia in American Pie.
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