At the beginning of October, a group of exchange students from Montrose School  (Boston) visited Orvalle . 13 students from the USA stayed with their host students from 4º ESO for 10 days. 

Exchange programmes like this one enhance learning but also personal growth and offer the student exposure to new cultures. They enable student learning at a completely different level because they develop the student’s ability to adapt to more international environments and broaden their knowledge of the world.

This article includes some first-hand experiences written by host students from 4ºESO who will visit Boston in March.

''A real friendship has been created between us and the Montrose students'', María de la Encina.

In my opinion this exchange has been awesome!

Firstly, because I think that it has been really helpful for my English, it has helped me to improve my fluency when having a conversation, vocabulary and pronunciation.

On the other hand, I think that a real friendship has been created between us and the Montrose students. I think they are all wonderful people and I will really miss them.

We've made all kinds of plans, from visiting El Escorial or Segovia to going to the amusement park or the mall, and I've really enjoyed them all. I also believe that these days have helped me to learn a little bit more about my own culture and also learn to appreciate more my country and my city.

It's been 10 amazing days and I really can't wait to go there and see all the girls again.

I would definitely recommend trying this experience to anyone!

''I loved this experience and I have learned a lot, it is 100% recommended !!'', Leyre Romera.

This experience has been better than I thought, not only when it came to learning English, but also in learning to meet completely unknown people, new cultures  and many other things.

During their 10 days in Spain, we made all the plans we could, such as: going to the parade on the Día de la Hispanidad , spending the day at the amusement park, going to the flea market in Majadahonda, visiting the escorial...

As for the girls, they were all very nice, fun and polite.

I loved this experience and I have learned a lot, it is 100% recommended !!

If I had the opportunity to do it again, I definitely would.

''One of the most exciting and different experiences ever'', Paula Ares.

My experience hosting a child from Boston in my house has been one of the most exciting and different experiences ever. Spain and Boston are two places with totally different customs, food and culture.

The exchange has helped me to practice my English (sometimes I even spoke to people from Spain in English) and to improve it. I think it is very enriching to take part in a cultural exchange because you learn a lot of things that you didn't know or that other people do differently (for example, in Boston, they don't eat lentils, which is totally normal here). 

We have tried to make a lot of plans together so that all the Spanish and American girls could have the chance to know each other. We went to the amusement park, to the parade of the armed forces, and we took them to the flea market in Majadahonda...

It was very funny to see how they were surprised by everything, especially by the prices: there were things that seemed super cheap to them and very expensive to us. At the end of the trip they even dressed like Spaniards !!

Personally, I would repeat this experience again if I were given the opportunity.