People have always been curious about far-away places and cultures and travelling is really the only way to experience these different environments. And it is also true that the most effective way of learning a language is by living in the country concerned, but parents should always think carefully before they send their children abroad.
There are some organizations that arrange visits for children as young as ten, but according to scientists, the majority of them won´ t be ready to stay away from home and deal with cultural differences until they are in their “teens”. Of course, a very good idea is to exchange correspondence before the visits. Host families should not feel any obligation to provide an extensive program or entertainment. More important is always to make the guest feel welcome in the foreign country.
Exchange programs can be a good way for teenagers to improve their language skills and various visits are even very exciting and interesting. You can learn a lot of information about the visited country, about the local people and their culture.
On the one hand the language could sound nice to your ears, but on the other hand you can also get a strange feeling when everybody near you speaks this language and you don’t know, what these people are talking about. And the next interesting thing is that thinking of different nationalities is very different. You can learn a lot of their habits and traditions.
Travel can broaden the mind and exchange visits give young people experience of a different way of life as well as different language.
And why children usually travel and want to learn a foreign language?
They can think about life from different points of view, they can create a firm friendship, they have a possibility to meet also other than just Czech people, they can see many gorgeous sites and more over they are able to understand lyrics of songs, enjoy original sound of films, read books, newspapers and magazines and who knows may be get a job at an international company in few years…
according to = podle
as many languages you speak as many times you are a human = kolik jazyků znáš, tolikrát jsi člověkem
be ready = být připraven
broaden the mind = rozšiřovat myšlení, vědění
concern = týkat se, účastnit se
curious = zvědavý
deal with = jednat s, zacházet
entertainment = zábava
environment = prostředí
exciting = vzrušující
experience = zkušenost
extensive = rozsáhlý
far-away = daleký
feel welcome = cítit se vítaný
firm = pevný
foreign = cizí, zahraniční
friendship = přátelství
gorgeous = nádherný, skvělý, oslnivý, pastry, oslňující
habit = zvyk, obyčej
host family = hostitelská rodina
improve = zlepšit, zdokonalit se
in their teens = v jejich pubertě
local = místní
lyrics = slova (k písni)
more over = navíc
nowadays = v dnešní době, v současnosti
obligation = závazek, povinnost
on the one hand = na jedné straně
on the other hand = na druhé straně, zato, naproti tomu
point of view = úhel pohledu
provide = poskytnout
scientist = vědec
skill = schopnost, dovednost, zručnost
sound = zvuk
stay away from = být pryč z, zůstat mimo
strange = cizí, divný, neznámý
talk about = o něčem mluvit, bavit se
the majority = většina
true = Pravda
used to = mít ve zvyku
