The German Exchange

By Ellie Chaston

In Oxford

The German Exchange is one of the best experiences you can have with German! Not only is it really fun, but it gives you a chance to practise your German on actual Germans! I was really excited when I first met my exchange partner, and I was right to be: she was really nice, and we had similar interests so we got on well. At first it was slightly awkward, but it’s unavoidable; having a stranger in your house is an odd experience! The good thing is that you have a whole weekend after they arrive to get to know them, and to show them around your hometown, and this really helps to break the ice. I found my partner to be interesting and fun to be around, and for this reason I was looking forward to visiting her in July.

In Augsburg

My partner’s family was really welcoming and kind, and they were always around so I was never short of company. I know that my friends felt a similar way about their own host families. When we visited Augsburg it was in summertime, so the weather was fantastic! The trips we went on were exciting, and we got to experience German culture. Living in a German home for ten days is very different to an English home, so that was also a wonderful experience to have, as it was something you could only get from doing an exchange rather than simply visiting on holiday.

Ich wurde den Austausch empfehlen, weil es wirklich, wirklich Spaβ macht und eine erstaunliche Erfahrung ist! Du musst an dem deutschen Austausch teilnehmen!