exchange visits

I was desperate to go to France on an exchange trip as I loved doing languages. But my parents did not let me go, saying science was the thing to study and I was wasting my time with languages. I was terribly upset.

In 1959 I went on a school exchange to Germany. I'd been learning the language for a year at school but it was not my strong point. At 15, I was incredibly home sick and worried the life out of my mother by sending postcards home every other day saying 'only 14 days to go', 'only 12 days to go' and so on. The family I stayed with were extremely nice to me and my pen friend spoke quite good English but the German school children were so much more sophisticated/better looking/better dressed/richer than I was and I was completely out of my depth. I nearly set the bathroom boiler on fire by trying to burn a used sanitary towel in the pilot light because I was too embarrassed to ask how I should dispose of them. I solved the problem by keeping them all until we were on the ferry home and then I chucked them over the side. Auf Wiedersehn, Deutschland!

Oh Lillie that's just like me-not an exchange exactly. We were all dished out names and addresses of French students at a Mixed Lycee where our French teacher had been a student-mine was girls grammar school so half of us, including me, got a boy. Lol!
We kept in touch and I went to visit him on my own as a teenager when a church trip I was on passed nearby. There I was with my French O level, grade B-neither use nor ornament! Lol!
The friendship continued; we both married the same year, fortunately my DH and his DW got on well. We had many camping holidays with all our DC down the years and we're now grandparents together having been to many weddings/baptisms together. Sadly DDs and DGC show no interest in language at all

I am still friendly with one of my exchange partners. She too has children the same age as ours, we have attended their weddings, and we are now swapping photos of our grandchildren. We try to see each other every couple of years.

Thanks for your interesting replies.
Plus the exchange visits we all did, we also had a lot of PG to stay. One was a very pretty German young lady. At the time some Germans were still being affected by World War 11. Her boyfriend was so angry that she would want to stay with us in England. However, when she returned and heard what a great time we gave the young lady, we heard that he would have liked to have come over with her!

My first kiss from a French boy called Toto ( Henri Pitoi ) in Le Val Andre

Ah oui, those French boys!

I went on my first exchange age 14 and every year after that. I ended up doing a degree in French and German, so it must have done some good!

Languages are a difficult option for teenagers these days, other subjects are easier and therefore more popular.

I went on exchange visits and had French girls to stay in return. Lots of memories - especialy as we were in puberty and all those French boys were so gorgeous to us!

Can't comment on the children not learning languages as mine have been bilingual since birth and pick up further languages easily.