Help a foreign student feel at home
By Mary Cordell
When Aniek Lenoir, Taupo¯nui-a-Tia College’s director of international students, approached us to host a student, we were a little unsure of what to expect.
Aniek invited us to a meeting with other parents thinking of looking after international students for some do’s and don’ts , what was expected of us and what was expected of the students.
It was all very helpful and some who had hosted before had some good advice to share.
Of the many bits of advice we got, one was don’t treat them like a guest but as part of the family. It will help them to settle in quicker. If you have chores such as taking turns with the dishes and putting out the rubbish then incorporate the students into this. Encouraging them to join in family activities is good as it allows you to get to know each other under fun conditions.
Aniek tries to pair the international students with likeminded families and you do get a choice of age, boy or girl, whether sporty or arty. You also get to talk to the student and their parents before they arrive, so you can see if they might be a good fit for your family.
Communication was highlighted as for most of the students English is a second or sometimes third language, so making sure they understand what you mean is important especially when it comes to rules for their safety — such as look right first before you cross the road or letting you know if they are going somewhere after school.
If you have house rules, let them know at the beginning — don’t wait until something has frustrated you so much you make a big deal out of a small thing.
One of the prerequisites for having an international student is they must have their own room, however do encourage them to come out and tell you about their day.
Jakob arrived after having spent a couple of days in Auckland acclimatising. Alex had invited some of his friends around for Jakob to meet so when he started school he would know some other people. He is outgoing, sporty and helpful around the house and like most teenagers has a passion for online games where he and Alex will join other friends to play.
Jakob has given us the chance to reconnect with our beautiful district and during the weekends we try to take him places around the area. During the Easter weekend we visited friends in Whanga¯rei and swam at the beaches, visited the falls and walked through the kauri forest. Jakob bought a drone with him and it is fascinating watching the footage afterwards. He has cooked a typical German evening meal and no, it wasn’t sauerkraut. He is teaching Alex some German words and he has a good relationship with Paul as they both enjoy watching the European Football League games and going to the gym.
Jakob joined a seven-aside summer soccer team with another international student and met more people and is now in the school soccer team. I feel that encouraging the students to play a sport helps them to integrate a bit more with their peers and form lasting relationships. Taupo¯-nui-aTia College has many school activities from sports like soccer, volleyball, rugby, netball, hockey and mountain biking through to chess, theatre, music, tramping and photography to name just a few as well as the variety of clubs Taupo¯ has to offer.
During the April school holidays, the international students could choose to go on a South Island tour, which we encouraged as we were not be able to take him down there. The students did and saw so much and Jakob also made more friends that he is keeping contact with.
Enjoy your student — they are here to experience New Zealand and all we have to offer and every one of them I have met has been a wonderful advocate for the International Student programme.
Thank you Aniek for the opportunity to host and now Alex has been invited back to stay with Jakob and his family for a few weeks during their summer holidays — what a great experience.