How to be a competent exchange student

1. How to be a competent exchange student TRYEX(multidistrict of D3480&D3500) General Coordinator Andrea Chen ( Rtn. Water )

2. Andrea CHEN(Rtn. Water) • 1994 the charter member of Taipei YungFu Rotary Club • 2000 serve Rotary Youth Exchange as host family • 2001~02 District3480 Youth Exchange Officer • 2003~04 District3480 YEC Vice-Chair • 2004~05District3480 YEC Chair

3. Andrea CHEN(Rtn.Water) • 2004 ~ 09 D3480 & D3500 Long Term Exchange Coordinator • 2009 ~ Now TRYEX ( Taiwan Rotary Youth Exchange multidistrict of D3480&D3500)General Coordinator • RYE Conference: Rotterdam, Osaka, Brussels, San Diego, Berlin, Malmo, Istanbul, Salt Lake City, Madrid, Birmingham, Reykjavík, Zurich, New Orleans.

5. How to be a competent exchange student • Goals and expectations of RYE • Responsibilities and obligation of exchange students. • The student’s role as Rotary Ambassador • Some other points I want to stress • Interactive O&A • In summery

8. How to be a competent exchange student 1. Goals and expectations of RYE

9. 1、Goals and expectations of RYE • promote international understanding and peace. • through your immersion into another culture – can widen knowledge & understanding of each others’ cultures. • So, you are actually Rotary Ambassadors and representatives of your nations

12. How to be a competent exchange student 2. Responsibilities and obligation of exchange students

13. 2、Responsibilities & obligations of exchange students A、All rules of the program must be followed at all times. • These rules are not just for us but for your benefit, they are part of your training and help you become competent ambassadors

15. 2、Responsibilities & obligations of exchange students B、Act as ambassador of Rotary and your country, it is your duty to : • blend into the local lifestyle • learn our culture, language, and so on • spread knowledge about your own country and culture

17. 2、Responsibilities & obligations of exchange students C、Agrees to accept supervision of host District, host Club, and host families • This year in Taiwan is not a vacation for you ! Rotary is your sponsor and your host families are your guardians here.

19. 2、Responsibilities & obligations of exchange students D、Accepts speaking engagements at Rotary clubs and other community functions during and after period of exchange. • You will be expected to do speaking engagements during this period, sometimes in Mandarin Chinese; after you return to your country, your sponsor District will ask you to give a briefing.

21. 2、Responsibilities & obligations of exchange students E、Agrees to correspond with sending Club and District during exchange • You will have to send a monthly or quarterly briefing report to your sponsor District about your experiences here. One copy should also be sent to our District, so we can deal with any problems you have.

23. 2、Responsibilities & obligations of exchange students F、Returns home at a specified time and by a route agreed upon by host Club, District, and parents. • You are required to go back to your country directly, with no stopover in a 3rd country, at the end of your exchange period. We strongly urge students to leave around the end of June, no latter than mid-July:this give time to overcome reverse culture shock and give you time to prepare for your next school semester.

25. 2、Responsibilities & obligations of exchange students G、Remains involved in program after returning home. • After returning to your country, we expect you to join your local Rotex to discuss and share your experience with other returning students and next years outbound students

28. 3、The student’s role as ambassador A、Adapt：become a part of your host family. • Remember you are not a “ guest” in the host family – you are a member. Behave as such.

29. 3、The student’s role as ambassador B、Ask when you do not understand something. • Always ask first when you don’t understanding local customs. We must avoid misunderstandings to promote harmony

31. 3、The student’s role as ambassador C、Be considerate of your hosts • There is no good or bad about culture, just deferent • Please enjoy the unique exchange experience of yours • Appreciate and treasure what your host have done for you

33. 3、The student’s role as ambassador D、Be active in your host community • Always be active to participate in local activities, especially when invited to do so:the aim is to learn about local people and culture, customs.

35. 3、The student’s role as ambassador E、Keep your room neat • Very important：always keep your rooms clean and tidy – this is a sign of a good ambassador

36. 3、The student’s role as ambassador F、Respect others • Always be respectful, well-mannered and polite to others. Promote an outstandingimage of yourself and your country !

38. 4、Some other points I want to stress: A、Please learn, and use, Mandarin Chinese as much as possible. Not just for communicating and establishing friendships here, but, Chinese is becoming a global language and could be a tool in your future careers.” B、Keep contact with your Club Counselor in case you face problems, they can advise and help. They are your window to the club, host family and school.

40. 5、Interactive Q&A • Q1 – I know I cannot operate any motorized vehicle including motorcycle or scooter. But, may I ride on a motorbike as a passenger?

41. 5、Interactive Q&A • You may ride as a passenger only as long as the driver is licensed and you have permission from your host family.

42. 5、Interactive Q&A • Q2 –Can I attend a cram school to study Mandarin Chinese instead of going to my host school, and during school hours?

43. 5、Interactive Q&A • Absolutely not; according to law of Taiwan, students must attend the school shown on their visa, during school hours. Otherwise, the police might check if they’re not at school, and you could be sent back to your home country.

44. 5、Interactive Q&A • Q3 – Rotary encourages students to learn more Mandarin. Some high school classes might be boring, and I prefer to study Chinese anyway!

45. 5、Interactive Q&A • First, you may join cram schools outside of school hours, but you have to pay the tuition yourselves. However, you should always treasure your high school Mandarin classes through 100% attendance and hard work. This also applies to Mandarin classes arranged by Rotary

46. 5、Interactive Q&A • Second, we stress that the Chinese-speaking environment of Taiwan is always the best way to quickly improve your speaking and listening ability. You should use Mandarin whenever possible with your host family, classmates, and other locals.

47. 5、Interactive Q&A • Q4 – I’m only here one year and when I return to my country, I will have no chance to use Mandarin. What’s the point learning it, I could study another subject instead, and just use English here!

48. 5、Interactive Q&A • Your main goal as a Rotary Ambassador is to bridge the gap and promote friendship between your country and ours. Learning the local language can help this process. Besides, language is a key to learning culture.

49. 5、Interactive Q&A • Also, Mandarin is one of the international languages, and might help you in your future career. Indeed, many exchange students continue learning Mandarin after the program finished.

50. 5、Interactive Q&A • Q5 – May I ask Rotary to refund any emergency fund that hasn’t been used, if I’m going home in a few weeks? I’d like to buy some souvenirs but I haven’t enough cash.