Vážení zájemci o studium,
informace a rozvrhy s předměty pro vstup do výuky najdete: Zde.
26th May 2023
Introduction by Romana Vančáková
Ever since the end of Covid 19 pandemic, our school has had the chance to host quite a few foreign students. They came from various backgrounds and countries, such as Slovakia, Finland, Italy, Thailand, Belgium, etc. These students also came for various lengths of stay (from one week to almost a whole school year) and within various projects and programmes, for example ASF or Erasmus+.
Having such a student or students at school means some extra work for teachers and the necessity to speak English or another foreign language at least for a part of their lesson. Furthermore, it also demands finding a hosting family for such a student. It is extremely courageous and kind from the parents to agree to having a brand-new family member speaking a foreign language. It also poses a great demand on the hosting student who becomes a mentor, buddy and a Czech guide for the student from a foreign country. Often such a student has to make some sacrifices and perhaps even give up a part of their privacy for some time. So what kind of experience is it? How can you cope with such a situation? Let’s have a look at what three of our students have to say on the topic.
This is what Veronika Klugerová wrote about her experience with hosting a student from Finland:
At first, I would like to say that I really enjoyed my time with Saara. The overall experience was valuable and fascinating. Yes, not every moment of it was perfect, but that would be unrealistic. It was quite interesting to wake up and have to speak English the first thing in the morning. Definitely a great opportunity for my brain to work hard. We had some hilarious moments when neither of us knew a specific word in English, but despite that, we still found ways to communicate and understand each other. I think we have plenty experiences and wonderful memories, and I hope we‘ll make more in the future.
On her last day, I asked Saara a few questions about her stay and her opinion on the Czech Republic. I asked her about what she liked the most, if she enjoyed her stay, and what was the most surprising thing to her. She said she liked our trips to the countryside and her daily walks around the area the most. She also told me she loved our trip to the mountains, which almost didn‘t happen because of the foggy weather, but we ended up going and enjoyed it in the end. We also visited Prague with Terka, Johy, Sini and Ahti—the other Finnish students. I believe our trip to Prague was a success. Saara said that her stay at my house and in general in the Czech Republic was amazing and although it was different, she felt relaxed and comfortable.
It was a great chance for improving our English but I don‘t think that it was just about that. Personally, I discovered a lot of things about myself. A little about what I want to do in the future. I became a lot more confident in speaking English and that´s the thing I wanted the most. We got many wonderful memories and gained many new skills from this adventure. I‘ll never regret this experience and I‘m looking forward to my stay in Finland.
Tereza Marešová said:
Hosting a Finnish exchange student was an amazing experience that opened my eyes to a new culture and a different way of life. It was also incredible to get to know someone from another country and background. Before Sini arrived, I was a bit nervous about how we would get along and whether we would have anything in common. However, those worries were quickly dispelled as we got to know each other.
We spent a lot of time together exploring cities and the countryside and I enjoyed showing Sini the best of what the Czech Republic has to offer. We visited castles, the cities of Brno and Prague, mountains and some local social events, etc. Easter and our traditions associated with it were also a big event and I dare say very shocking. Introducing Sini to my family members and friends was a sure thing.
Before Sini left I asked her a few questions about her stay here. Here is what she told me. The thing that surprised her the most was how talkative people are here. Apparently, she expected them to be scary and rude. The number of castles was also surprising and strange to her. Her all-time favourite thing here were the mountains. There aren´t enough of them in Finland she said. She also liked Brno and Prague which we visited with Veronika, Johana, Ahti and Saara. However, everything wasn´t only positive, one negative thing she mentioned were the constant weather changes. As for food, she said she hasn´t tried any that she didn´t like. Overall, she would rate this experience 10/10, unforgettable and she is very happy that she came here.
Hosting a Finnish student was an enriching experience that allowed me to broaden my horizons and I learned about a different way of life. I would highly recommend the experience to anyone who is interested in a cultural exchange and getting to know people from different parts of the world.
This is how Johana Ludvíková felt about hosting a foreign student:
Hosting a Finnish student in my home for six weeks was a very rewarding experience for my family and me. We really enjoyed showing Ahti around the Czech Republic and sharing our culture with him. We went on many trips, including two visits to Prague, Velké Losiny castle, and even my own concert where I played the cello. We also celebrated Easter with all the traditions (including girls whipping boys) and had many hangouts with my friends. He stayed for the whole time in my room and it was sometimes complicated, but we made it through.
During his stay, we introduced Ahti to our family and he got along well with everyone. My brother also liked him, but especially my father, who found a new friend in him. My mom cooked many Czech specialties for him, and he seemed to really like them, especially „rajská“ sauce. Speaking English was easy for me. My father speaks fluently and my mother had finally a chance to improve her English. Unfortunately, my brother does not speak any English, but it was no problem and they always found a way how to communicate.
The biggest difference was, that we could see how polite Czech people are to each other (by saying thank you and please very often). We are also much more talkative and loud. In Finland a school starts at 9, which means it was sometimes hard to adapt to our schedule and also there was for a while a jetlag.
Hosting a foreign student is a wonderful way to learn about different lifestyles and viewpoints. It was really great to share our home and traditions with someone from a different background. By doing so, we also made new connections and friendships that will hopefully last. Perhaps Ahti enjoyed his stay in our small country.
