1. Prepare a room for them. Your student will feel more comfortable in your house with their own room. Adorn walls with flags and maps of their country.
2. Learn about them. Try to obtain their e-mail address, so you can begin communicating with them. The sooner, the better.
3. Try to make them feel welcome. When you see a group of friends, introduce your student to them and let them meet each other. Try and say their name with their native accent in mind.
4. Don't try and do too much. In most cases, many things in their country are the same as they are in your country. Don't point out every tiny detail you see because it will annoy them. Do not speak loudly with them. They just speak a different language - they are not mentally defective.
5. Be polite and mind you manners. However, politeness and manners differ from culture to culture. Try to learn about the exchange student's culture before hand. Discussing these differences in manner can be an important way to share knowledge of each other's cultures.
6. Spend time with them. Chances are they won't visit you for a long time, if they do visit you again. Take them to the beach. Give them Coronas and teach them games that don't exist in our culture like sand-style hopscotch. Hosting an exchange student is something you will remember for the rest of your life, and hopefully you will remain lifelong friends. There are many different cultures all over the world. Keep an open mind, even if your Mexican exchange students appear similar to your friend's Japanese exchange students. Remember, they DO NOT all look the same. Appearances can vary from region to region.
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