American Association of Teachers of German

Search for student exchange partners

Knowing that school partnerships are one of the most effective educational tools for the qualification of young people for the of increasing international co-operation, it is the aim of the Ministry of Education of Rhineland-Palatine to promote intercultural education and to provide local high school students with international experience, skills and knowledge for the working world in a globalized economy. We are presently looking for partners among American high schools who share the same aims and who are interested in a future cooperation in the field of student exchange.

Traditionally, learning German as a foreign language has been a prerequisite for attending an exchange program with a German school. Now, however, we would like to invite all students interested in experiencing life in a foreign country first-hand, regardless of their knowledge of a foreign language, to spend some time together with an exchange partner of their age in Rhineland-Palatinate. Our idea is to establish a two- to three-week student to student exchange program between an American high school and a bilingual high school in Rhineland-Palatinate, where different classes are taught in English. Thus, American exchange students visiting such a school would not need to be able to speak and understand any German, but, being placed into English speaking families, they would nevertheless be able to gain intercultural experience.

This exchange bears a high potential for the German departments at American high schools: being exposed to German culture for several weeks, the participants will possibly develop an interest in the German language as well. Hence, participants (approx. 9th grade) might be willing to choose German as an elective in order to communicate with their new friends in their mother tongue, too. This will strengthen the German programs at American high schools and generate future participants in traditional, language-based exchange programs.

Sometimes schools are afraid that too much, i.e. a large number of participating students, is expected from them right from the beginning. We, however, would be willing to start the exchange on a very small scale, e.g. with only 5 students, and see what will develop from there.

Interested schools can contact Clemens Schmahl at the Rhineland-Palatinate Ministry of Education by email (clemens.schmahl@mbwjk.rlp.de).