When should I contact ALLEF about being interested in an exchange?

This depends upon how old your child is. Some families make contact when their children are as young as 7 or 8 in order to have lots of time to meet ALLEF and check out the organization. It can take up to a year to arrange an exchange. If your child is coming up to the last year of primary school, it's best to make contact straight away, even if you later change your mind.

How much contact can I have with my child?

Your child should not telephone you themselves. We suggest an initial weekly phone call from yourselves which should not be too long. It is better to vary the time so that your child is not waiting around for it. Other family members or friends should not phone because the more English your child speaks, the harder it is to immerse themselves in French or German.

What will happens about internet usage when the foreign child is with us?

The ALLEF experience is one of immersion in the new language. Whilst it is tempting to think that you can ensure that children will only use sites in their new language, experience has taught us that this does not happen. Internet use should not be allowed.

Occasional letters to friends and other family members are alright and often provide something special to look back on.

How do I know if an exchange is right for my family?

However, although learning another language is an important aim, our first concern is that the child who takes part in an ALLEF exchange actually wants to do it and will be happy. After all the exchanges involve a total of twelve months in the life of a family, whilst the child is away from home and during the stay of your exchange child in Britain. This will not suit every child, nor will it suit all parents either. So a lot of thought has to be given to whether ALLEF is right for you, your child and your family.

ALLEF strongly advises you to meet the other family before the exchange starts. If you feel concerned about entrusting your child to this family, you should not go ahead.

Are there any other benefits to doing an exchange?

Doing an exchange is about more than just learning another language, you become immersed in a different culture. Most children who have done exchanges find that they are more confident and have done well academically.

Whilst it is hard work for parents to have another child for six months, many of us have got a lot from the new friends we have made, both in the UK and Europe and found it to be an enriching process.

Do I have to inform anyone else about the exchange?

Before applying you should discuss the exchange with your school . You must inform social services and this is best done once you have made the decision to apply.

We also suggest that you discuss the exchange with your family and any one else who is closely involved with your family. Some people will be quite shocked that you can contemplate sending your child away for six months but others will be supportive and enthusiastic.

Does the second half of the exchange need to follow straight on after the first?

ALLEF suggests that there is at least a short period between the two halves so that families can reacquaint themselves but you can choose to have a longer period if it suits both families.

What happens after the exchange?

Many families choose to stay in touch and continue to visit each other, often for years afterwards. This is up to you, ALLEF only monitors the original exchange

Who do I contact if I have a problem?

Your local rep is your first point of contact for any queries, problems or if you just want a chat. If your local rep is away, you can contact one of the coordinators.

When will I know whether our family has found an exchange?

All the coordinators from all three countries jointly interview and match the families so placements are offered within a couple of weeks after the last interviews. You can check the dates when you have your interview.

How quickly will my child learn another language?

Children vary. Most understand quite a lot after a few weeks. Some will start to try to speak their new language within days, others may say very little until they feel confident after some weeks. Most will find it difficult to speak English before they get to the end of their exchange and will acquire a different accent.

How will I know how well my child is speaking in another language?

An ALLEF rep will do a language report for you during the exchange.

Does it matter if I am a single parent?

ALLEF has done successful exchanges with a variety of families. The most important thing is to be honest about how your family functions when you apply. There are no rights or wrongs. Problems are more likely to occur if important information has been excluded.

How can twins do exchanges?

A number of twins have done successful exchanges. The main decision is whether you want to do them back to back or have a gap. Many families choose to have an exchange child whilst one twin is away and vice versa. You do need to think carefully about whether any siblings doing exchanges at the same time should spend the best part of a year apart. However, in practice, this does not seem to cause any problems. Not all twins will both want to do an exchange.