Visiting Students’ Impact Remarkable

The lack of diversity has been a long-standing concern in the minds of parents and students, and the Lakeland School District is finding creative solutions to help promote cultural acceptance through foreign exchange student programs.

“We accept one student from each country at a time, and the maximum usually is four students a year,” explained Lakeland High School counselor Kim Suko. “In this way, the students become fully immersed in the school environment, culture, and community. For the student, it is an opportunity to experience American culture and to explore a wide range of customs.”

This year Lakeland High School had five students; one was a transfer student from another district. “We wanted to help him; to give him a better environment, since the school he was originally placed in was very small,” Suko said.

These five students accounted for roughly 2 percent of the high school student body, and, while few in number, the impact these foreign exchange students have on resident students is phenomenal.

“In Lakeland’s case, I believe students get the opportunity to witness and perhaps learn and accept other cultures,” said Dena Naccarato, a history teacher at the high school.

Resident students are not the only ones who benefit from the experience of meeting people from different cultures. Teachers are quick to agree that they also benefit from the enrollment of foreign exchange students.

“The (foreign exchange) students require more explanation, so they help me plan out and explain my lessons better, which in turn helps local students,” said Naccarato.

This year, exchange students in the Lakeland district represented Russia, Brazil, Germany, Spain and Sweden.

Jone Guillen from Spain, said the best part of her year was the people she met, but she admitted that language sometimes was a problem. “It was fun, and I learned a lot,” she said. “The first day everything was different. You don’t know anyone or where to go, and you can’t speak or understand anything very well. But the students treated me kindly.”

The biggest challenge for teachers is teaching a student whose first language is not English.

“Sometimes foreign exchange students are not properly prepared for the English-speaking classroom,” said Colleen Hall, who teaches speech and English.

Although the curriculum can be difficult for foreign exchange students because of the language barrier, they are rising to the challenge, and teaching resident students along the way.

“In a speech classroom, foreign exchange students are given numerous opportunities to speak about life in their home country. Not only do my students and I learn a lot from these speeches, the foreign exchange students learn a lot about American culture from American students in their own voice,” said Hall.

Even before granting acceptance to the school, Lakeland looks at the exchange student’s English skills and a personal letter written by the student. The high school also requires exchange students to keep a minimum g.p.a. of 2.0.

Guillen said this requirement is not difficult. “I have less subjects here; only six classes per day. We have 12 in Spain. It’s much easier having less classes at Lakeland.”

Although most exchange students can meet the school’s requirements, the Lakeland administration still is careful not to strain teachers.

“Foreign exchange students do create more work for teachers,” said Suko. “And even though the students’ English skills improve a lot over the course of the year, we do not want to overburden classes.”

Despite these considerations, Lakeland is forging ahead in educating its students on cultural diversity through first-hand experience.

“I truly enjoy learning more about the culture foreign exchange students live in. I love to travel, and the lessons they give in the classroom help me to know what to expect if I get to visit their home countries,” said Hall. “Additionally, these students chose to challenge themselves at such a young age by leaving home and living in a foreign country, and I really respect their courage and independence.”