Major Problems with Host Families - Essay Example

Host families play a very important role for those individuals who happen to be on exchange and these often help in the adjustment of foreign exchange students to the life in a new environment. While this is the case, it is also important to note that host families often make a lasting impression on a foreign student that is visiting a certain country. I was privileged to have gone on exchange to the United States when I was younger and this period in my life has had a lasting impression. The impression that I got from visiting the United States and being in a new environment is one that was completely different from what I had expected. This was mainly due to the fact that most of the interactions that I came to experience as well as the culture of the society within which I lived was absolutely different from the one that I was used to. In fact, when one considers my experiences in the United States, one would say that it was a completely opposite from the way of life in China, my home country. When I first learnt that I my application for foreign exchange had been approved and that I was to go to Oregon, United States, I was extremely excited. This was mainly because I had never before left my home country and I was eager to experience another place which was dissimilar from home. I found out that I had been assigned a host family and while I met this news with some apprehension, since I did not know what to expect from these people, I later came to be glad that they had been selected for me. The family that I went to live with were known as the Johnsons, and they were honest and hardworking individuals who were also strong in their Christian faith, a fact that I found highly impressive. In my home country, where not many of the people are religious, and the latter is often discouraged, we has often heard rumour that the people in the west only professed the Christian faith yet rarely practiced it. The Johnsons, however, proved this impression to be wrong, and by their taking me into their home and treating me as one of their own, I felt like a real part of their family. Among the things that most impressed me about this family is that they had adopted a girl from China, treating her as if she was their own biological child through their provision of their love and support. Lily, the little girl, had been adopted as a baby when her parents died and she was left an orphan. Despite this tragic beginning of her life, Lily seems to have adjusted well to her new environment, to the extent of not remembering any Chinese, a fact that I learnt from my futile attempts to address her in her native language. In China, I had learnt some English but while this had been the case, when I went for exchange, I could not speak it very well. Despite the language barrier between me and my host family, the latter took in stride and they often encouraged me to express myself the best way that I could through the use of my limited vocabulary. When all attempts at communicating using English failed, and it happened often, we would resort to using signs, a factor of communication that I found to be most interesting. The experience of the Johnsons when raising Lily might have helped a lot in their communication with me since after a fortnight or so; we could communicate with almost no problem at all since we had learnt each other’s speech and sign patterns. Since I went to school with the other two older Johnson children, Josh and Mary, who were close to my age and attended almost the same classes, I found it much easier to adjust to the new school environment than if I had had to go alone. These two, who became very close friends and my constant companions, gave me the motivation to learn my English so that I could communicate with them better. My thirst to learn might have also played a role in my wanting to better my English and in all my attempts, the Johnsons often gave me their support. Since I am a fast learner, within a few weeks of living with my host family, I could confidently express myself, both at home and at school, in English, a feat that I am proud of to this day. Another factor in my life as an exchange student that the Johnsons had a lot of influence on was in culture. When I left China for the United States, my expectations concerning the society were very different from what I came to experience. I have to admit that during my stay in the United States, I often experienced culture shock, which in my first few days left me very depressed. If an individual who comes from China experiences the United States for the first time, I am sure that they would agree with me. China is a highly conservative society and individuals are always reserved in all that they do, especially in how they conduct themselves. This was not the case when I came to the United States which I found to be liberal to the extreme, an environment that I was not really prepared for. The Johnsons were very instrumental in ensuring that they took me from my conservative background and nature through explaining the reasons behind the things that I found to be most shocking. Their description of how and why certain things happened in their society helped me to understand the liberal nature of American society, giving me the strength to experience it where I would otherwise have despaired. My hosts were very helpful in ensuring that they took me out to experience the best of America, such as the fast food restaurants like McDonald’s, amusement parks, zoos, and most interesting of all, they at one time took me with them to church, an experience that I will never forget. As an adolescent at the time, I was at a highly rebellious stage in my life where I believed that what I thought and did were the right things. I did not care about what others thought and was not concerned about whether I hurt them, especially my parents, or not. All of this came to an end when I experienced firsthand the influence of Alois Johnson, the patriarch of the Johnson family. He was a middle aged man who, because of his calm demeanour as well as his reasonable way of explaining things, came to have a calming influence on me. I would never tire of listening to his wisdom since he had a way of making even those concepts which seemed hard to me look so simple. I have to admit that I started thinking rationally because of this man’s influence and for that, I will always be grateful to him. When I had left China, I was a rebellious teenager, but on my return, my parents were in for a surprise since they found a young man who was both a respectful and responsible individual. Therefore, I can say that my experience with my American host family was extremely gainful for me because it helped, in part, to make me what I am today. The strength of the Johnson family was most inspiring for me because it ensured that my stay in the United States passed without incident. It is my hope to visit this family again soon so that they can see for themselves the successful individual whose life they had so much influence on. Read More