Looking for a German exchange for dd1 (10)

[frogs]

Any of you MNers resident in Germany know any families who might be interested in a German/English exchange for a girl of 10 or thereabouts?

Dd1 hasn't learnt any German at school yet, but knows some 'pidgin' German from previous visits with family. We live in London and are an English-speaking family, though I also speak fluent German, so could communicate with the family or a visiting child in German if needed.

Would be really grateful for any possible pointers -- we've tried to organise a couple of things ourselves through friends, but none of them have really got off the ground, and dd1 keeps nagging me!

Frogs, at a guess, I'd have thought that 10 was a bit early, as most German schools in the areas I know don't start teaching English til then - and you'd want the girls to be able to talk to each other. But maybe other MNers can correct me on that.

thats an excellent opportunity for your dd frogs! what an experience she will have! sorry, i dont know anyone from germany but good luck

Hi frogs. My German niece has just turned 9, lives in a lovely part of Germany, I can ask if you want! (Don't know if she's learnt any English yet but is in year 3, so I suppose she's started).
Otherwise I teach trainee teachers (am on mat leave at the moment though) and could put up a notice there, or ask around friends. (Am a bit stressed with new baby and establishing bf right now, but can do my best!)

sorry, i know this is no help to the actual request... but im desperately looking for an exchange partner in the age of 15 /16 (germany /england)and though that might be too old for your child i thought you might know anybody who is interested in this kind of thing? WOuld be thankful for help!!! (by the way: i came to this sit by google: you are the only one who wrote the sentenc "looking for a german exchange partner" (or so) in the whole uk-net!! this is quite depressing...(smile)

frogs, in case your daughter is still interested in learning German during the holidays, Schule Salem (wwwsalemcollege.de) offers summer camps for international students. Not sure from what age, but it may be worth having a look on their website.

Do you have a particular time span/time of year in mind? I know a family (Berlin) with an 11 year old girl (lovely family - 4 girls) who has just started Gymnasium and her English could do with some work. Have no idea how the parents would feel about her going away to the UK alone though. She's a very very nice girl.

Hey thanks, you guys! I just made a rare lurky appearance on a saturday (neurotically checking my ebay sale items!) and saw my ancient thread resurrected!

The Salem idea is a very good one, annasmami. Will check it out, and I know dd1 would be okay with going away.

SSS, I am still looking for an exchange family for dd1. It's been complicated by the fact that most of my friends had children later than we did, so they're all just starting school. We've tried a couple of avenues -- dd1 wrote faithfully for a year to a girl she met skiing in St Anton, but the parents weren't happy to let her stay away.

So yes, if you're happy to sound out your friend's family, that would be great! Dd1 is now 11, in 1st year of secondary school. We live in London, and she is the oldest of three, quite sensible but not weirdly so, iykwim. She speaks 'Tellytubbydeutsch', but is quite good at educated guessing when she doesn't understand. We're intakte Familie, Akademiker, blahdiblah. I'm half-German, but pass for native once I've had 24 hours to get into it.

Many thanks for these ideas!

Wrt time of year, no, I don't have a particular time in mind. Holidays /half-term wd probably be best, though a little overlap with classroom time wouldn't hurt. But would have to check with dd1 school our end, they can be a bit uptight. Would be a terrible terrible culture schock for a Gymnasiastin from Berlin, though -- it's an all-girls' Catholic, formerly convent, grammar school with a ferocious uniform policy featuring mid-calf length kilts.

Sorry I've been off sick with the flu. Ugh. Ok I'll have a chat with the mum at ballet on Friday and let you know what she thinks. Shouldn't think Chiara would have an enormous panic about the school but doubt she'll like the uniform part. She goes to a classical Gymnasium in Zehlendorf (with classical I mean with Latin on the curriculum). They're a very Catholic family but easy-going relaxed people originally from Cologne and Chiara is Ministrantin at our church so that wouldn't be the main problem.

Are you sure though that you feel comfortable sending your dd away to people you don't really really know? Don't want to alarm you or anything. I personally know and like this family but then you don't know me either IYSWIM. Could they try being penpals first maybe so you start to get a feel for who you're dealing with?

Maybe I'm a big panic maker but you know we had another story in the news recently about a lovely little boy - Mitja who was only 10. Every time I opened my pc last week, I'd see a picture taken of him and the convicted paedophile who it seems raped, murdered and buried him in his garden. It was the first time the little boy had been allowed to take the tram alone and the security camera filmed him laughing happily, looking pleased as punch, sitting next to this man who is smiling. It is so awful but we hear so much of this kind of thing these days. It makes me very wary even paranoid

Actually another thought I have is contacting a school here in Germany. If Berlin is interesting for your dd, maybe this one:
CK

I know they have organised exchanges with certain schools in other countries. I think the pupils who want to get practice with English tend to go to a school in America, at least that used to be the case.

If she is in Berlin, I can help keep an eye on her, but she won't learn much German from us!

Oh yes, would always do penpals first, and suggest some kind of meetup before sending a child off. Dd1 has had another letter from her other penpal after a long gap, so might try that as well.

That's a horrid story, SSS. Dd1 is now allowed to take public transport by herself (has to, for school) and you just have to keep reminding yourself that these awful events are so, so exceptional. But with an exchange you do have to take as many precautions as poss -- I had some hideous exchanges as a child, but that seemed to be normal in the late 70s/early 80s. My cousin ended up staying with a family in Paris where they filled the bath with water at the beginning of the week and left the same water in the bath all week for people to wash in [yeeeuch emoticon]. And the mother brought her lovers home and sh*gged them on the sofa. This was a bohemian m/c family recommended by friends of my aunt's. And I know my cousin wasn't embroidering cos my aunt went out there to rescue her and confirmed it all.

Crossed posts, SSS. Will look at the school thing too. In fact that was my first option, but was unable to find any organisation that did exchanges for pre-teen kids, apart from a mad one that involves sending your child away for 6 months before receiving someone else's child for the same length of time. The Salem option suggested lower down the thread seems to be intended for families considering sending their child to the school, so not quite the same thing.

My kids go to a fab. summer camp in Somerset which has significant numbers of kids from France and Spain that come to learn English -- unfortunately I haven't been able to find a German equivalent, but must work on that too.

I'll investigate the camp thing.

I know a friend of mine sent her 2 ds on a summer camp somewhere in Brandenburg because it isn't too far away. I'll ask her about it. Maybe though Bavaria or somewhere on the North See/Baltic coast would be nicer if you're sending a dc from overseas.

A lot of riding schools offer 1-2 week live-in courses where the dc do the first or second riding medal. Mixture of theory and practice. I think it's called the Hufeisen.
Like this one, scroll down to Reitferien:

Reitferien

Can't personally recommend this particular place, we drove out to have a look at it but dd never took lessons there or anything. Just to give you an idea.

North See

sorry about the delay in getting back to you Frogs, but the dd now no longer comes to ballet so we didn't meet up in the end. The mum feels that her dd1 is too tied up with schoolwork at Gymnasium and her various activities - riding, music and so on to really have time to be a reliable penfriend so she doesn't see it happening. Also TBH she doesn't feel the girl's English is really up to writing letters yet. Seems they learn very little English at primary school. She is very snowed under ATM with all the homework and the pressure at Gymnasium which seems to be a total shock to the system. Sorry about that!

My ds3 did a 6 month French exchange aged 10. Worked very well. We did it through organisation called ALLEF and they were investigating possibilty of German exchanges. Might be worth checking out?