Learn a New Language through a Summer Student Exchange Program

Are you a high school student, at least 16 years old and looking for a great way to spend your summer vacation this year?  Are you the type of person who enjoys a challenge, relishes the idea of experiencing new things and are frankly quite tired of doing the same types of things every summer—experiences that leave you bored, unchallenged and no better off for the experience?  If so, a summer student exchange program may be right up your alley.  To help you get started, below we will provide a brief definition of a summer student exchange—what it entails and what you can expect—and give you some basic information on things like housing and how to apply.

What Is a Summer Student Exchange?

Does the notion of spending a summer in a foreign country appeal to you?  Would you be willing to spend some of your time studying in exchange for the opportunity to explore the sights, sounds and tastes of your host country?  If so, you could be one of the thousands of students this year to take advantage of a summer student exchange program.

From a learning standpoint, a summer student exchange program can take on many forms.  Some programs focus on new language acquisition—a full-immersion language learning technique that helps students master a second language exponentially more rapid than they would through traditional language courses—and others programs focus on one or two subject areas, such as studying Art in France or Physics in Germany.  If you successfully complete one of these accelerated programs, the best part is you can usually get full high school or even college credit for the course, which means a course that would have spanned a full semester at your home school can be completed and out of the way in just a few short weeks.

I know what you may be thinking:  “This sounds like an awful lot of work, especially for the summertime, which is supposed to offer me a break from my studies.” Actually, you may be surprised to learn that the traditional classroom instruction portion of your summer student exchange program will represent only a small fraction of what this wonderful experience fully entails.  Most summer student exchange programs, whether they are language-based or teaching particular subjects, conduct classes only in the morning, typically divided by two 2-hour sessions.  This means that the rest of the day and evening can be spent visiting the various sites and attractions the country has to offer, either with an organized group or independently.

Summer student exchange programs are the perfect way to learn all about a new and completely foreign country; its customs, traditions, language and people.  As a participant you’ll see things you’ve never seen before, taste the local cuisine and meet and make friends with numerous people from around the world, including local students and fellow study-abroad participants. 

Summer Student Exchange:  Accommodations and How to Apply

Students will generally stay either in a supervised residence hall or with a host family—a family that will be able to show you around the country, take you to some of the most appealing places, and provide you with a close link to all the physical and cultural aspects of the country.  You’ll also be able to share information about your own country, simultaneously becoming the teacher and the learner.

If this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity sounds interesting, the first step is to check with your school’s guidance counselors, administrators and/or teachers.  Typically, they will have informational literature on how to apply (pamphlets, brochures, etc.), and will detail the various steps you will need to prepare for your trip.  Keep in mind these programs are very popular among students and they tend to fill up rather quickly, so don’t wait!  Check with your school early, at least several months before you intend to go, leaving plenty of time to complete the application process, gather your travel documents and other necessary items and reserve your accommodations.

Online University and Online Courses in South Africa

Are you considering pursuing a distance education opportunity at an online university in South Africa? Have you decided on which university to attend—the institution at which you plan to take the bulk of your online courses in South Africa? Distance education has become a major part of the educational fabric in South Africa, and is particularly popular among those living in the country’s more rural areas and for people whose full time employment makes it difficult to attend a traditional university. One institution that has earned an outstanding reputation for this mode of educational delivery is the South African Institute for Distance Education, or SAIDA, a university dedicated to transforming education and training in the country by providing greater access to every potential student.

Online University South Africa: About SAIDA

SAIDA was launched in 1992 by a group of prominent South African educators, and has since become renowned throughout Africa, particularly in the south, for its innovative approach and the manner in which it redresses educational, political and economic inequality. SAIDE is not a product of the South African government, but an independent entity based in Johannesburg, the South African capital. The school’s mission since its founding has revolved around contributing to open distance education in all of its forms, including the development and implementation of online courses in South Africa in almost every major academic and career field. This important step affords every South African the prospect of self-improvement through education and ultimately prepares them to take part in the ongoing development of the South African region.

Online Courses in South Africa

Although the majority of online courses in South Africa are designed for higher education students and teacher candidates, SAIDA also works closely with the sectors of Early Childhood Development, adult education at the secondary level and technical training. At the higher-education level, the SAIDA Online University in South Africa offers programs in a wide range of academic disciplines. Students can partake in both undergraduate and graduate programs, leading to degrees in fields such as Agriculture, Environmental Sciences, Business Administration, Marketing, Economics, Management, Education, Languages and a variety of social, physical and life sciences, including Psychology, Sociology, Anthropology, Biology and Chemistry.

The online university in South Africa is made possible by its dedicated faculty and staff, who are instrumental in the formation of policy, curriculum development and providing the training and resources needed to serve the school’s large and increasingly growing population of students.

As is the case in many areas throughout the world, the number of online courses in South Africa is growing every year, as is the number of students opting to take advantage of these programs. Statistics show that nearly 75 percent of all South African students now take at least one online class a year towards their degree or certificate—a number that’s even higher for students living in rural districts. Programs such as these are not only much more convenient for students, they are often more affordable as well, largely because the extra cost of providing and maintaining a classroom does not apply.

Study Online South Africa: How It Works and Why It’s So Important

Higher education in South Africa is highly valued, and their world-class academic institutions aim to provide the utmost access to the country’s many educational opportunities. Almost all of the country’s universities, of which there are 21, have now begun offering distance education programs—programs in which students can study online in South Africa, as opposed to the more restrictive and traditional university setting. Needless to say, these online study programs in South Africa have become very popular among students. According to university records, nearly 3 out of every 4 university students in South Africa have taken at least one course towards their degree using the online study format.

Study Online South Africa: Why Is It So Important?

South Africa is an expansive country; a country that since the long-awaited end to Apartheid has become increasingly progressive, both educationally and politically. Its population is almost equally divided between people residing in urban areas and those living in the more rural areas of the country, the latter of whom had virtually no access to urban universities prior to the development and implementation of a comprehensive distance education system.

As computers became more advanced and access to the Internet became more widespread, online study in South Africa became increasingly popular. Individuals who were previously unable to take advantage of higher education opportunities—people limited by distance, disability or time, as is the case with many who are employed full-time—could now pursue undergraduate and graduate degrees, and increase their career knowledge and skill-set through advanced certification programs. Online study in South Africa effectively removed the educational barriers for a significant percentage of the population—barriers that had formerly prevented educational attainment at the post-secondary level.

Online Study South Africa: How Does It Work?

As mentioned briefly above, the majority of universities now offer online study in South Africa, including at least two large institutions at which distance education is the sole method of educational delivery.

Students who wish to apply to study online in South Africa are required to have regular access to a computer and reliable Internet service. Courses are offered in subjects ranging from Accounting to Zoology, and class assignments are sent and returned electronically. Some programs even offer features such as virtual classrooms and streaming lectures, where students can interact with the instructor and their classmates in real time. Communication between teachers and students can take many forms, including email, instant messaging and video conferencing, and while some instructors may require students to physically attend the university periodically, for events such as exams, guest lectures, etc., many teachers will conduct the entire course through online study.

Collectively, the online study programs in South Africa have been instrumental in the country’s skyrocketing enrollment into university degree and certification programs. Programs with names such as “distance education” and “Study Online South Africa” are slowly helping to close the gap between the “haves” and the “have-nots,” and are ushering in a new generation of lifelong learners in the country.

Distance Learning South Africa

Education is very important to the South African people and the research performed here can only be defined as cutting edge. As this system continues to grow, and as more and more people are gaining access to educational opportunities, the country seems poised to make even greater educational strides in the coming years. One major growth area in recent years has been the implementation of online distance learning in South Africa. Distance learning opportunities, through online schools in South Africa, is providing access to higher education for people who were formerly excluded due to distance, disability or time, and is reshaping the educational landscape of what was once a very limited and elitist system.

South Africa is home to twenty-one public universities and several private institutions of higher learning. Together these schools provide a wide array of study and research options, and are designed to offer both local and international students a well-rounded, comprehensive and globally-significant educational experience. Recently, the education system in South Africa was restructured and revamped, finally freed from racist programs and policies of the old Apartheid-based system. This restructuring has led to the development of several comprehensive universities, including the introduction of “Distance Learning South Africa”—a program that through several online schools in South Africa provides a wide range of degrees, diplomas and certificates and broadens educational access at the tertiary level.

While distance education in South Africa had been in existence since the mid 1990s, it wasn’t until January of 2004 that these programs became a widely popular alternative to the traditional university setting. It was in that year that the University of South Africa and Technikon South Africa merged, and incorporated the Vista University Distance Education campus. The new entity formed by this groundbreaking merger, a merger which created several online schools in South Africa, became known as “Unisa.”

According to university records, Unisa is the leading distance learning institution in all of Africa, with internationally accredited qualifications, top-tier instructors and world-class resources. In each of its online schools in South Africa, students, who, for a number of reasons, were precluded from attending traditional universities, can now gain the education and skills they need to excel in their future career choice; the knowledge to help them identify and present solutions to some of southern Africa’s most pressing developmental problems.

While distance education in South Africa is partially funded and supported by the state, educational policy, curriculum and all personnel matters are the responsibility of each institution’s council—a council that is led by the University Chancellor and made up of prominent South Africans employed in a wide range of important positions within the community.

Distance learning in South Africa, and the opportunities it presents, is helping to ensure that EVERY individual in South Africa who desires a higher education is able to pursue that goal, regardless of whom they are or where they live. Ultimately, this creates not only a more well-educated populace, but equates to a brighter future and a better tomorrow for everyone living in this rapidly emerging country.