APPLE VALLEY, MN -- Eastview students are starting to prepare for their trips abroad this summer with the school's language departments. Students taking Spanish and German, two of the languages offered at Eastview in addition to French and Japanese, will be traveling to Spain and Germany, respectively. The trips are separately organized and on different dates.
Both groups are small, with six students on the German trip, and twelve traveling to Spain. The visits are a few weeks in length, and include a home stay with a native family, in addition to a week or so touring with the group. Multiple cities will be visited, giving students a thorough feel for the country.
The Spanish students depart on June 18, 2009 and will be gone for three weeks, two of which are spent with a host family. Host families receive minimal compensation, but it is a hospitable effort on their behalf to host American students and show them around the cities.
“I'm a bit nervous about staying with complete strangers for two weeks. It'll be awkward for a few days, but I think it will be worth it,” confides junior Laura Jorgenson, who will be traveling to Sevilla, Spain this summer with the school.
Host families and students both fill out forms with information such as likes and dislikes and meal preferences, and students indicate if they're comfortable staying with a family who smokes or has pets.
German student Colleen Lesch, who is also a junior with plans to travel abroad this summer, isn't too nervous about the host family. “Mrs. Sonnenberg told us that we have a high rate for good matches and the students are happy with their families,” she notes. “Also, the teachers who organize our trips usually know their own students well enough that they can match the exchange students with a compatible family.”
The trip to Germany, which leaves June 16, and is also for three weeks, will introduce students to the cities of Berlin and Inglostadt. There will also be day trips to visit prominent castles and neighboring cities such as Salzburg, Austria.
In addition to sight-seeing, students will be able to improve their language skills. Junior Sarah Brunsvold, who stayed with a German host family last year for a month through the Rosemount High School program, says her family spoke almost perfect English, so she did not use as much German as she thought she would.
Colleen agrees. “I think the basic idea is immersion, but I have no doubt that we will attempt to use English when possible.”
However, Sarah claims just being around German speakers for a month vastly improved her control of the language, adding “my language and listening skills improved immensely.”
The parents bankrolling their child's trip will be glad to see their student's language grade rise. As with any European vacation, the trip is not inexpensive. The Spanish excursion totaled $3,345, though the German trip is about $800 less.
There have been a few fund-raising opportunities. Spanish students sold concessions at a few basketball games this past winter, and may be bagging groceries at Cub within a few weeks.
“My parents are paying for the actual sticker price, but I have to cover all expenses while I'm over there,” says Colleen.
But the high costs are considered a worthy investment. All trip participants seem to be very eager to see Europe and try out a bit of the language. “It’s a great way to get to know about the country and experience first hand what it would be like to live there. Also it’s a great way to use the language you’re learning,” says Sarah.
The students hope to get the something significant from their experience. “I hope to walk away with a better understanding of the culture of Spain and I also hope to become fluent in Spanish,” says Laura.
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