France and Switzerland are goAUPAIR's Featured Countries for March at goAUPAIR. This means Host Families match with an Au Pair from France or Switzerland get $200 off their program fees.

Au Pairs from France and Switzerland have many qualities that benefit Host Families in America, like a variety of languages spoken and refined manners. Here are some interesting facts about France and Switzerland and their Au Pairs:

France
France today is one of the most modern countries in the world and is a leader among European nations. It is the most visited country in the globe; receiving 82 million foreign tourists annually. Metropolitan France has an area of approximately 260,558 sq miles, slightly smaller than Texas, with 62,048,473 people.

French is the official language and although children learn two foreign languages in school, there is a special importance placed on speaking French. For that reason, Au Pairs from France may want to speak French to others whenever possible, they are eager to share their culture, but they are also very interested in learning about American traditions.

Cooking in France is considered an art and meals are expected to last several hours to enjoy the food. Americans tend to eat faster and set aside less time for meals. Host Parents will want to review their schedule with their Au Pair to ensure too much time isn’t dedicated to cooking meals. Etiquette and personal habits are very important in the French culture. Americans are more casual and French Au Pairs will need to adjust to this.

Switzerland

The geography of Switzerland is very distinct which means the climate varies greatly from one region to another. Depending on the area and the time of year, Switzerland experiences conditions reminiscent both of Siberia and of the Mediterranean.  Switzerland is one of the world’s oldest democracies. The Swiss government is different from other European governments, organized as a collective group of individual regions that are each responsible for their own laws.

 Switzerland has an area of approximately 15,940 sq miles (about twice the size of New Jersey) with 7,779,200 people.  It has 4 official languages: German, French, Italian and Romansch, while the French and Italian dialects are standard, the German spoken in Switzerland is different than in Germany. Au Pairs from Switzerland who speak German may use some words that are not taught in traditional German language education in the U.S.

Swiss Au Pairs from urban areas will be accustomed to large crowds and easily accessible shopping, dining and entertainment options. Punctuality is important and highly regarded in Swiss culture. While this means that Swiss Au Pairs may rarely be late, it also means that they may have little patience with other’s tardiness. The Swiss tend to keep to themselves and spend more time at home which is also a trend among Swiss Au Pairs.

For more information please visit, https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/fr.html or http://www.switzerland.com/en.cfm/home

Utah’s Granite School District is implementing a new program to help kids learn another language while still in elementary school. The program called Dual Immersion, works by giving kids, starting as early as 1st grade, 50 percent of their instruction in English and 50 percent in another language. Reading and Language arts classes are taught half of the day in English. While classes like math, science, or social studies are taught in their targeted language. Art, music, and P.E. can be taught in either language.

The project coordinators at Granite School District  "because of the teaching strategies used, the students learn the concepts and skills for the subject area and develop the ability to read, write, speak, and listen in another language.” The Dual Immersion program has been implemented for over 25 years in the United States; Granite School District will be using all those years’ research and experience to bring this program to Utah.

It is interesting to note that students who learn a second language increase their brains' ability to solve problems and there is no better time to learn a second language than when children are in elementary school.
The goals of this program are to “develop literacy skills in both English and the target world language such as Spanish, French, or Chinese while attaining academic achievement that is at or above their grade level as measured by Utah core testing.”

Along with teaching children another language, the program helps students create cultural sensitivity, making them more aware of the different cultures and people that share the world they live in. According to Granite School District web site the school strives  "to prepare Granite School District students academically, linguistically and socially for the challenges and needs of our global community.”

The success of the program can be previewed by the Chinese Summer Camp program, held in two of the district's schools. This program called “Startalk” is a collaboration with fluent BYU Chinese teachers. The program works in the same way, with half-day classes in Chinese during eight days.  Recreation and P. E. activities are also based on the Chinese culture to help kids better understand Chinese traditions and practices.  

Studies have shown that children who learn a language before their teen years have higher chances of acquiring a native-like pronunciation, plus introducing children to new languages broadens their view, prepares them for their future careers by sharpening their communication skills and gives them opportunities to understand people with different backgrounds and absorb more of the cultures.

For more information about Granite School District Dual Immersion Classes visit their Web site.

Hiring a Chinese Au Pair is becoming a growing trend for American families. According to the New York Times, the drive behind this trend is the “desire among ambitious parents to ensure their children’s worldliness, as such parents assume that China’s expanding influence will make Mandarin the sophisticates’ language decades hence.” So here are some interesting facts about China and Chinese Au Pairs:

China is known to be a country full of history and ceremonies. Appropriate manners are expected from everyone, especially towards the elderly. China’s total land area comprises more than 9.6 million square kilometers with four time zones. The national language is Mandarin, which is one of the five working languages in the United Nations. Cantonese is also one of the local dialects, more common in the south of China. The Chinese language has been in use for over 6,000 years. The country's total population is 1.328 billion (2008) and it comprises about 22 percent of total population in the world. China is also one of the four oldest civilizations in the world with a written history of more than 4,000 years. 

Chinese youth want to become Au Pairs in U.S. to improve their English and experience some of the American culture. Taking college credits in the U.S. increases their potential for a better career when they go back home.  They also want to share their traditions and backgrounds with American families.

Potential Strengths of the Chinese Au Pair
1. Bright, eager and willing to work hard.
2. Well mannered and respectful of host parents and elders.
3. Can expose your children to the Mandarin language.
4. May adapt quickly to a new culture without significant homesickness or depression.

Possible Weaknesses of the Chinese Au Pair
1. May not be used to large families and become overwhelmed with lots of children.
2. She may not be accustomed to American children, who are generally outspoken and direct. Be patient, have a sit-down talk with her and explain the cultural differences between American and Asian children.
3. She may be very quiet in the beginning and you may feel she is not happy, but be patient and usually she will begin to open up as she gets to know and care for your family.

Most of our Chinese Au Pairs have worked or volunteered as tutors for younger children. Nearly all of our Au Pairs from China are qualified to work with infants based on their daycare and babysitting experience. goAUPAIR has had successful experiences matching American families and Chinese Au Pairs, for that reason we are always pleased to help families find their perfect match. If you are interested in Chinese Au Pairs, feel free to let us know or search for them in the Au Pair Preview.

China is the Featured Country for February at goAUPAIR, which mean Host Families that match with an Au Pair from China get $100 off Au Pair program fees.

For more information:
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/05/us/05aupair.html
http://www.articlesbase.com/parenting-articles/chinese-au-pairs-on-the-rise-834810.html

The Department of State on Monday, January 18, 2009, proposed a new rule in the Federal Register to increase nonimmigrant visa application processing fees. The Department stated that ongoing process and security enhancements have increased actual processing costs beyond the current $131 fee set on January 1, 2008.

An excerpt from the official statement reads, “The Department is proposing the increase to ensure sufficient resources to cover the increasing cost of processing nonimmigrant visas (NIVs). This increase applies both to nonimmigrant visas placed in passports and to border crossing cards issued to certain adult applicants in Mexico.”
 
"Under the proposed rule, applicants for all visas that are not petition-based, including all student and exchange visitor visas, would pay a fee of $140." The J-1 visa (the type of visa issued to an Au Pair) is not a petition-based visa and falls under the exchange visitor visas.

We will keep our Host Families and Au Pairs aware of the fee increase and any other changes that may come from the proposed change.

To learn more about this proposed rule change, visit the Department of State website. You can also read the statement in from the Federal Register.

In a meeting Monday with staff from the United States Embassy in Berlin, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton expressed her gratitude for the great strides that have been taken in regards to “robust diplomacy and public outreach, engaging not only with representatives of the German Government, but civil society, business leaders, teachers, students, ordinary Germans.” Clinton went on to specifically talk about cultural exchange programs and her desire to double the number of current exchanges with Germany.

Clinton said, "Yesterday at the dinner that the Atlantic Council sponsored, two of the leading German speakers – one from the past, one the foreign minister, very much from the present and the future – talked about what it meant to them to have participated in the International Visitors Program in the United States. I would like to see us redouble our efforts, particularly reaching out to young Germans, and particularly those from the east, to build a strong foundation of understanding and respect."

Over the last year, goAUPAIR has seen a significant increase in the number of Au Pairs from Germany. The increase in Au Pairs from Germany comes as a welcome surprise for many host families who desire an Au Pair from Europe. "In the past, Au Pairs from Germany have been harder to come by, but during the last year we have had an influx of great Au Pair candidates from there," said Tanna Wilson, Managing Director for goAUPAIR.

View the full text of Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's Speech

If you want your child to learn another language, what is the best way to help them learn? There are hundreds of options available to almost anyone. Montessori and language immersion schools, CDs, DVDs, books, computer games and many other options can all effectively help your child learn another language. So how can a parent choose amidst a myriad number of options?

One great way to help your child learn a foreign language is through an Au Pair. With an Au Pair, parents can kill two birds with one stone. By hosting an Au Pair, a family enjoys flexible affordable child care, coupled with an enriching cultural and language learning experience.

As a young adult who comes to the U.S. to provide up to 45 hours of live in child care, an Au Pair can also double as a language teacher for your children.

A Host Family can select their Au Pair based on his or her home country, language or both. As an Au Pair Agency, goAUPAIR works with over 50 countries to provide families with the opportunity to host an Au Pair from almost anywhere in the world.

Because young children have the benefit of an increased ability to learn, parents often ask their Au Pair to only speak in his or her foreign tongue so their children can learn the language. Teaching a child another language at a young age can result in impressive bilingual abilities in a short amount of time.

It is not uncommon for a child who has been cared for by an Au Pair, to be able to count and respond in simple sentences in the language of their Au Pair. Families love the opportunity of learning an Au Pair provides for their children.

In July, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton took part in a town hall interview in Bangkok, Thailand on the Thai news channel, The Nation. During the question and answer session, Clinton mentioned her support of international exchange several times. One participant asked which U.S. foreign policy Clinton believes has had the most impact on Thailand and Thai education. Clinton responded with the idea that educational exchanges are the most important:
 
“We have been working together for 176 years, and there have been a number of important initiatives over that long period of time. But I think educational exchanges and student exchanges are among the most important, and I would like to see even more of them. I’d like more American students coming to Thailand. I’d like more American faculty coming to Thailand, and I’d like more students and faculty from Thailand coming to the United States.”

“…I think there’s no substitute for person-to-person connection, because we are fighting against cultural media stereotypes. The media paints a picture of the United States which very often has not got anything to do with reality. And for a lot of people in Thailand, that’s all they will know about the United States unless we create educational and cultural exchanges and opportunities. So that’s what I’d like to see more of."

There is no substitute for person-to-person exchanges. Nothing will be able to replace the experiences felt and lived by an individual who visits the United States. For this reason, cultural exchange programs are vital for an increase in diplomacy.

As goAUPAIR places young international adults also know as Au Pairs, across the country, the common comment from families are all the same - "We love the culture experience."

A Host Mom of an Au Pair recently said, "We really like the international experience... we enjoyed being hosts to someone from another country.  Also, it is very beneficial to us to have someone that is not from the area.  Being out of their element, we feel they form more of a bond with the family and the children."

The Au Pair program is one of many cultural exchange programs that help with the United State's diplomacy. More information about other exchange programs can be found on the U.S. Department of State Web site.