The Experiment's semester abroad focuses on homestay

February 19, 1980

The semester begins with a week of orientation in Copenhagen. The next two weeks are devoted to learning Danish, which means five to six hours a day of instruction, interspersed with activities such as cooking and filmgoing for a taste of Danish culture.

For the next three weeks the student takes a seminar in a topic of current interest in Denmark, which might be "Danish Economics and Entry Into the Common Market" or "Special Eduation in Denmark." There are also trips to places of historic and culture importance -- silver manufacturing in Kolding and the fishing village of sonderho, for example.

After this introduction, the student sets off on his own. For the next month he or she lives with a Danish family, doing whatever the family does, and concurrently works on an independent project.

This semester abroad is one of 16 offered by the Experiment in International Living. And it is one of many types of offerings for study and travel abroad. The semester's progression is designed to enable the student to gain greater language proficiency, further understanding of the country's culture, and in-depth knowledge of one particular subject.

The home stay, central to all programs, provides an important exchange between the student and host family. The Experiment, as is generally known, advises that the ultimate success of the home stay depends largely on the student's willinglness to adapt as a member, not a roomer, of the host family.

For more information, write to the Experiment in International Living, Brattleboro, VT 05301.