Amay-portofolio 3
December 11, 2007Content = 4/5
Structure = 5/5
Vocabulary = 4/5
Grammar = 4/5
Mechanics = 4/5
Total Grade = 21 /25
Interchange is considered to be very good for people because it’s a great way to boost the foreign vocabulary, to know a little bit more about other cultures and it can help people be more independent.
First, going on interchange is a great way to boost the foreign vocabulary. Usually, when a teen goes on interchange, he/she continues to have classes at the new country that he/she arrived. In order to have those classes, it’s necessary to manage a lot of English, for example, so that the teen can at least understand something about each subject. Spending 6 months or a year abroad means that you are definitely going to learn a lot about the new vocabulary, because you’re going to use it for everything you might need, such as ordering food, interacting with new friends and asking for information. The more time spent in this new country, the more your vocabulary will improve, not only because it’s necessary to know every word, but also because some people can get very keen on learning more things about another culture. I have a friend who has just came back from New Zealand and before going on this trip, she could barely speak fluent English and now that she is back, her English is completely fluent. Since she stayed there having classes in high-school, her accent has also improved a lot, because the English language has become something totally necessary for her in her routine. That’s why going on interchange will defenitly improve your foreign language skills.
Second, going on interchange can also make people get more interested about other cultures. One of the biggest reasons people, and not only teens, go on interchange is to get to know something more about another culture (their eating, dressing and free time habits). A good example about a place, with a complete different culture than Brazil to visit is China. If someone thinks that the Chinese people only eat the Chinese food that we are used to eat here in Brazil, he/she is wrong. My father’s friend went to China a couple of months ago and told me and my family, that their culture is completely different from ours. He said that Chinese women wear a different kind of outfit than we are used to wear here in Brazil, because they usually wear “kimonos”. Another difference is that they not only eat the regular Chinese food that we see here in Brazil, they also eat insects, monkeys and sometimes snakes. Also, instead of using forks and knifes, they use chopsticks. They are also very different from Brazilians in the way they go from one place to another. Instead of using cars, they use bicycles to avoid the air pollution. Those are only a few differences from their culture to ours and a nice way to get to know them better, is visiting China. That’s why going on interchange will make you find out a little bit more about a different culture.
Finally, going on interchange can also make a person become more independent. People usually go on interchange all by themselves, which is a great oportunitty to help them becoming more independent. Arriving alone in a new country with a complete different culture than yours is not an easy task for a teenager. At first it can be very daunting for a teen, but it is something that he/she will have to go through all by him/her self, which will definitely turn him/her into a more mature and independent person, since they will have to tackle all of their problems and mind their own business without their parents help. A very good friend of mine is going through all of this. She recently moved to New York all by herself to go to University. She bought a tiny apartment for her and her roommate, who are having to take care of everything they need. My friends’ family decided to stay here because they didn’t want to leave everything they had earned behind and also because they thought it would be very good for their daughter to become a real woman without them interfering in her life. My friend told me that it’s not an easy job to manage everything alone and that she thought it would be a lot easier, but that she won’t give up her dream and she’ll keep on taking care of her on her own, because, according to her, it’s also an amazing way to prepare herself to raise kids in the future. That’s why going on interchange can make people be more independent.
