Six-Month Exchange

Québec

Nova Scotia

Student/Parent Program Guide

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TABLE OF CONTENTS 1 PROGRAM DESCRIPTION .................................................................................................................. 2

1.1 PROGRAM OBJECTIVES AND ELIGIBLE PARTICIPANTS ................................................. 2 1.1.1 Program objectives ....................................................................................................................... 2 1.1.2 Eligible participants ...................................................................................................................... 2

1.2 SELECTION CRITERIA ...................................................................................................................... 2 1.3 KEY PROGRAM RULES ..................................................................................................................... 3

1.3.1 Cultural and religious respect ...................................................................................................... 3 1.3.2 Academic commitment ................................................................................................................ 3 1.3.3 Rules for the Host Family ............................................................................................................ 4 1.3.4 Rules for Nova Scotia parents or guardians ............................................................................. 4 1.3.5 Rules at school ............................................................................................................................... 5

1.4 EXCHANGE PROGRAM TIMELINE ............................................................................................. 6 1.4.1 First academic year: Admission .................................................................................................. 6 1.4.2 Second academic year: Participation .......................................................................................... 7

1.5 FEES AND INSURANCE .................................................................................................................... 8 1.5.1 Registration fee .............................................................................................................................. 8 1.5.2 Fees linked to the verification of the Criminal Record Check .............................................. 8 1.5.3 Drop-out fees ................................................................................................................................ 8 1.5.4 Medical insurance .......................................................................................................................... 8 1.5.5 Civil liability insurance and emergency situation ..................................................................... 9 1.5.6 Additional daily costs during the exchange ............................................................................... 9

2 BEFORE THE EXCHANGE .............................................................................................................. 10 2.1 APPLICATION ..................................................................................................................................... 10 2.2 STUDENT SELECTION .................................................................................................................... 10 2.3 TWINNING PROCESS ....................................................................................................................... 10 2.4 PREPARATORY ACTIVITIES ......................................................................................................... 11

3 DURING AND AFTER THE EXCHANGE ................................................................................... 12 3.1 DEPARTURE ........................................................................................................................................ 12

3.1.1 Documents ................................................................................................................................... 12 3.1.2 Escort ............................................................................................................................................ 12 3.1.3 Baggage ......................................................................................................................................... 12

3.2 ARRIVAL ................................................................................................................................................ 12 3.2.1 September-December: Québec students in Nova Scotia ..................................................... 12 3.2.2 February to May: Nova Scotia students in Québec ............................................................... 12

3.3 SUPERVISION AND ASSESSMENT OF STUDENTS .............................................................. 13 3.4 CERTIFICATE OF PARTICIPATION AND APPLICATION FOR ACADEMIC CREDIT13 3.5 PROCEDURE IF PROBLEMS ARISE ............................................................................................ 13

3.5.1 Contacts ........................................................................................................................................ 13 3.5.2 Conditions for cancelling the exchange................................................................................... 14

3.6 CULTURE SHOCK .............................................................................................................................. 14 3.6.1 Culture shock during the exchange .......................................................................................... 14 3.6.2 Returning home and reintegrating into one’s own culture ................................................... 15

3.7 GENERAL REVIEW AND OUTREACH FOLLOWING THE EXCHANGE ................... 15 4 COMPARISON OF EDUCATION SYSTEMS IN NOVA SCOTIA AND IN QUÉBEC .... 17

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1 PROGRAM DESCRIPTION The Nova Scotia-Québec Six-Month Student Exchange Program is designed to foster second-language skills development as well as cultural awareness through an exchange between Nova Scotia French Second Language high school students and high school students from Québec. This Nova Scotia Department of Education and Early Childhood Development French Second Language Programs initiative is supported by the Canada/Nova Scotia bilateral agreement on teaching English and French as second official languages.

1.1 PROGRAM OBJECTIVES AND ELIGIBLE PARTICIPANTS

1.1.1 Program objectives

Improve the French language skills of Nova Scotia students

Foster cultural awareness

Make participants aware of a different educational system

Increase students’ independence and potential to adapt to a new environment

1.1.2 Eligible participants

The program is open to public school French Second Language students who will be between 15 and 17 years old and in Grade 10, 11 or 12 during the exchange year. Each student selected will be twinned with a francophone student from Québec. The exchange program runs for six months and is divided into two separate periods during a school year:

From September to early December, the Québec students will attend the Nova Scotia school

of their twinned partner, in classes and courses at the same grade level they would normally

take in Québec until late November or early December. They will live with their twinned

partner’s family.

From February to early May, the Nova Scotia students will live with their twinned Québec

family and both students will attend the same school in Québec. The Nova Scotia students will

also take classes and courses as similar as possible to their Nova Scotia curriculum, until late

April or early May.

1.2 SELECTION CRITERIA

Each school board notifies the Nova Scotia-Québec Six-Month Student Exchange Program provincial coordinator at the Department of Education and Early Childhood Education, French Second Language Program Services, by a pre-determined date, of its intention to participate in the program. The school must designate a bilingual teacher as liaison, to take responsibility for the exchange during the school year.

Note: No students may register for the exchange program without the consent and support of their school and family.

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To be admitted to the exchange program, students must demonstrate the following qualities:

Genuine interest from the students and their families in meeting the program objectives;

Genuine desire to learn French or improve their French language skills; Excellent English language skills and a functional knowledge of French;

Above-average communication and interpersonal skills;

Above-average academic achievement;

Excellent physical and mental health;

Great facility to adapt to and integrate into a new family and community;

Openness to others and their cultural differences;

Maturity and a sense of responsibility;

Sense of humour;

Reasonable ability of the family to accommodate another adolescent in the home for

three months;

Commitment to remain in the program until the end of the six-month

exchange period;

Willingness to actively support the visiting student during the adaptation period (the first few

weeks). The selection committee must be assured that the Nova Scotia student meets the above criteria and that the family will enthusiastically welcome a Québec student for three months. The committee must also ascertain that this would not place an undue burden on the host family.

Note: This program is very demanding, especially during the first six weeks of the exchange. A shy or reserved student will generally have great difficulty meeting the demands of the program. Lack of knowledge of the French language also makes integration very difficult, especially at school.

1.3 KEY PROGRAM RULES

The rules outlined below are part of the commitment that parents/guardians and students must make before participating in the exchange program. It is essential that every member of the host family be receptive to the exchange program and willing to contribute to its success. It is important that each member of the family agree to participate in the exchange and actively support the new member of their family for a three month period.

1.3.1 Cultural and religious respect

Students and their parents/guardians must respect religious and cultural differences and be willing to adapt to a different lifestyle. The student must respect the customs and spiritual beliefs of the host family.

1.3.2 Academic commitment

Students comply with the host school’s rules even if these differ from those of their home

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school.

Students are required to attend all classes at the host school.

1.3.3 Rules for the Host Family

Visiting students must comply with the host family’s rules (meal times, curfews, etc.).

Visiting students are expected to respect the host family’s cultural differences (eating habits, religious differences, etc.).

Visiting students are expected to contribute to the performance of daily chores with the host family and to remain respectful and polite at all times.

Use of drugs and alcohol is strictly forbidden.

Visiting students and their parents/guardians must agree that no sexual relations are permitted while living with the host family.

Visiting students must be provided with sufficient funds for three months ($500.00 is usually adequate).

Any costs associated with all three regular meals, school transportation, and activities organized by the host family are the responsibility of the host family, and not the visiting student.

Visiting students are expected to make every effort to communicate in French to the best of their ability while in Québec. They should limit, to the strict minimum, any conversation in English.

Friends of the visiting student as well as parents/guardians should limit the number of emails, telephone calls, and social media connections while the Nova Scotia student is in Québec.

Visits by family members, boyfriends/girlfriends or other friends are not permitted, in order to facilitate the visiting students’ integration into their new environment.

Visiting students are forbidden to drive a motor vehicle in the province of Québec during the exchange.

1.3.4 Rules for Nova Scotia parents or guardians

Parents or guardians must limit communication (emails, phone calls) to once a week while their child is in Québec in order to facilitate the student’s integration to the new environment.

Parents or guardians should encourage their child to continue with the exchange even though initial difficulties in adapting may be experienced.

Parents or guardians must inform the liaison teacher in the school of any major difficulty the student may encounter during the program.

In order to respect the student’s host family’s commitment to the exchange, the Nova Scotia family cannot request a new host family once the exchange program has begun. Parents or guardians should let the provincial coordinator make that decision in consultation with all parties involved, if it should become necessary.

It is highly discouraged that parents or guardians, or any other family members, visit the students while they are in Québec.

If the Nova Scotia student has to return home before the end of the exchange period, the parents or guardians must inform the liaison teacher and the provincial coordinator before any travel arrangements are made.

Parents or guardians must provide a warm and welcoming environment to the visiting student. They should be present and engage the visiting students in family activities, meals, and conversations. The visiting student should feel like he or she is at home and not simply a guest or a boarder.

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Parents or guardians must host the Québec student in a completely Anglophone family context and must guarantee that English is the main language of communication when engaged in family activities (television shows, conversations, etc.).

There must be sufficient room in the home for another teenager. It is preferable, but not obligatory, for the visiting student to have his or her own room. It is, however, required that the visiting student have his or her own bed.

Parents or guardians must be at the airport when the visiting students arrive and when they depart.

The Nova Scotia host family must offer as rich a cultural experience as possible, providing varied opportunities to the visiting student.

If there are any changes in the family situation, the parents or guardians must inform the liaison teacher and the provincial coordinator as soon as possible.

If the host parents or guardians wish to travel to another country, the parents or guardians of the visiting students must be informed beforehand and agree to the travel arrangements.

The host family and, in particular, the host student must be willing to devote time to the visiting student, while at the same time allowing the student a certain degree of autonomy. For example, the host student should not spend all evenings or weekends alone in his or her bedroom or away from home leaving the visiting student alone. Furthermore, the Nova Scotia student must not devote most of his or her time to friends or to work, leaving the visiting student alone at home or at school.

1.3.5 Rules at school

The Nova Scotia student must behave as an exemplary student in the Québec host school.

The Nova Scotia student must model appropriate language and behaviour throughout the period of the exchange.

The Nova Scotia student must reasonably attempt to complete all required school work at the host school. The participating schools in Québec are aware that the visiting students come from a semestered system and may have varying degrees of proficiency in French.

The Nova Scotia student must accept the schedule offered by the host school, being aware that Québec schools are not semestered and, as in Nova Scotia, do not all offer the IB program. However, the provincial coordinator will be in contact with the participating Nova Scotia schools early in the process in order to become very familiar with the participating Nova Scotia students’ academic programs. He will also travel with the Nova Scotia students in early February and visit all participating students in their host schools. He will then attempt to harmonize as closely as possible the Nova Scotia and Québec curricula and schedules, in consultation with the students and guidance counsellors. It cannot be guaranteed that all courses will be matched. The provincial coordinator will request that the visiting student be removed from English classes while in Québec, if the student agrees. These periods could then be used more productively to focus on other academic work. Although this option cannot be guaranteed, it is possible in most circumstances.

The Nova Scotia student must respect the rules of the host school even if they are different from the rules of his or her school in Nova Scotia.

The Nova Scotia student must attend all the classes in his or her Québec school schedule.

The Nova Scotia student must attempt to complete all homework and assessments in the host school.

The Nova Scotia student must help the Québec host student adapt to his or her new school environment and community. For example, a school tour and a meeting with the liaison teacher,

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the school administrators and some members of the student council should be arranged on the first day at school.

The Nova Scotia students must work on most of their Nova Scotia course requirements before and after the Québec portion of the exchange. This should be arranged in consultation with the Nova Scotia school’s guidance counselor and the students’ second semester or full-year subject teachers. While the Nova Scotia students may have some time to work on their Nova Scotia curriculum during occasional work periods at school or at home while in Québec, it would be unreasonable to expect students to complete homework and assessments from two programs simultaneously. Moreover, the Québec schools are non-semestered and therefore have up to 9 different courses in their yearly schedule. The purpose of this program is to offer the participating students a rich cultural experience designed to broaden their horizons and enhance their knowledge of the French language. They should, therefore, not be inundated with school work from two provinces, neither while in Québec nor upon their return to Nova Scotia in May.

1.4 EXCHANGE PROGRAM TIMELINE

1.4.1 First academic year: Admission

SEPTEMBER - MARCH:

Program publicized and launched. Application form and interview questionnaire available on the website of the French Second Language division of the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development at: https://fsl.ednet.ns.ca/content/student-exchange-program-quebec.

FEBRUARY - MARCH:

Students submit their application to the participating school. The liaison teacher and selection committee review all applications and retain only the most suitable candidates. Interviews in the home and assessment by the liaison teacher and the selection committee. The liaison teacher completes the report and makes sure that all required documentation and signatures are present. Completed student applications and school reports are forwarded by liaison teacher to the provincial coordinator by the last day of March.

MARCH:

Files received by the provincial coordinator and information on all applicants compiled.

APRIL - MAY:

Twinning process. Successfully twinned applicants’ files are sent to the schools, which in turn send them to the students and host families in Nova Scotia and Québec. They must then accept or decline the proposed

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twinning by the specified deadline. Students for whom a suitable twin cannot be found will unfortunately not be able to participate in the program.

JUNE - AUGUST:

Twinned students and families communicate with each other.

LATE AUGUST:

Pre-departure information is sent to participating students.

1.4.2 Second academic year: Participation

SECOND WEEK OF SEPTEMBER:

Québec students arrive in Nova Scotia. Provincial coordinator visits all participating schools with Québec representative. The representative will interview the Québec students while the Nova Scotia provincial coordinator will review the academic programs and schedules of both Québec and Nova Scotia students with the host school’s liaison teacher and guidance counsellor or registrar.

OCTOBER:

Assessment of Québec students after three weeks by Québec school liaison teachers.

END OF NOVEMBER:

Three month assessment of Québec students by Nova Scotia subject teachers.

EARLY DECEMBER:

Québec students return home.

SECOND WEEK OF FEBRUARY:

Nova Scotia students arrive in Québec, accompanied by the Nova Scotia provincial coordinator. Visit by provincial coordinator to Québec schools. Provincial coordinator interviews students and plans the course selection and schedules with students and Québec liaison teachers or guidance counsellors.

MARCH:

Assessment of Nova Scotia students after three weeks by Nova Scotia school liaison teachers.

END OF APRIL:

Three month assessment of Nova Scotia students by Québec teachers.

EARLY MAY: Nova Scotia students return home.

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1.5 FEES AND INSURANCE

1.5.1 Registration fee

A participating student and their family must pay a non-refundable $100 registration fee to cover part of the administrative and student follow-up costs. This cheque must be payable to “Minister of Finance” and must mention the Nova Scotia-Québec Student Exchange Program as well as the name of the student registered. Registration fees must be paid only when the family accepts the twinning. Please note that these cheques will not be cashed until both families have accepted the twinning arrangements. If an appropriate match cannot be made, the cheque will be returned to the family.

1.5.2 Fees linked to the verification of the Criminal Record Check

Families that wish to host an exchange student from Québec must request a Criminal Record Check document from the local police or the RCMP. This verification is required for each and every member of the family who will reside in the home during the exchange and who is 18 years of age and older. The original documents must be submitted to the provincial coordinator of the exchange program at the time the host family notifies the coordinator that they accept the twinning arrangement. Following the verification, if a member of the family discovers that he or she has a criminal record history, further information must be provided to the provincial coordinator who will then decide if the student from this family can still participate in the program.

Note: It is imperative that any parent holding a criminal record contact the provincial coordinator before the twinning process in order to inform him about the nature of the record.

1.5.3 Drop-out fees

Travel vouchers (such as airline tickets) are paid for by the program and may not be changed. They must be used solely in compliance with the information they contain, including the departure and return dates. They are usually purchased in the Fall and are not reimbursable. If a student drops out before departing for Québec or before the end of the program, the registration fees cannot be reimbursed, except in the event of an exceptional circumstance, such as a serious illness or death in the family, and if authorized by the provincial coordinator. In all cases where a student drops out before departing for Québec or returns homes before the end of the program without a valid reason, which must also be approved by the provincial coordinator (boredom, difficulty adapting, etc.), the family will need to reimburses this student’s original round-trip travel expenses or, in the case of a premature return, the fees for changing the return plane ticket.

1.5.4 Medical insurance

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There is a good chance that Québec hospitals will not charge the Nova Scotia students if they require medical attention. In any case, all medical fees recognized by MSI will be reimbursed to the family by MSI upon submitting receipts for medical services rendered in Québec. The parents of Nova Scotia students should, however, still obtain supplemental medical insurance for their child for the duration of the exchange in Québec.

1.5.5 Civil liability insurance and emergency situation

The parents of Nova Scotia students are responsible for obtaining civil liability insurance for the duration of their child’s stay in Québec. We advise them to contact their insurer directly. Also, please be sure to notify your insurance company that an additional person will be living in your home for three months, to avoid any future problems should an incident occur. During the students’ stay in Québec or in Nova Scotia, the host families are responsible for the program participants in the same capacity as they would be for any other visitor in their home. If a participant is injured in some way during this stay, the host family’s civil liability insurance should provide the necessary coverage against any legal proceedings arising from such accidents. The Quebec/Nova Scotia Student Exchange program is considered a critical service under the Nova Scotia Department of Education and Early Childhood Development emergency management plan. In the event of a declared disaster or emergency situation, the host family has the responsibility to provide safety and security for the exchange student until EECD makes timely arrangements to safely collect the student and organize his or her transportation home.

1.5.6 Additional daily costs during the exchange

Provision must be made for additional costs between September and early December due to the presence in your home of a student from Québec. Planning for the exchange must include factors such as additional expenses for food, electricity, school transportation fees where applicable, and travel to involve the Québec student in Nova Scotia cultural activities. The host family must also consider the cost for involving the visiting student in family activities or trips and may consider supporting some of the visiting student’s leisure activities if they are reasonable. The fees for school books, obligatory school activities and uniforms, where they are required, as well as student fees and locker fees are usually waved by the host school for the visiting student. Fees for non-obligatory activities at school are usually not waived. In the case when they are not waived, for any course taken outside the regular school setting, these costs are the responsibility of the visiting student or this student’s family.

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2 BEFORE THE EXCHANGE

2.1 APPLICATION

Students must apply online. The students must fill out the current year’s “Application Form” available in Word format at https://fsl.ednet.ns.ca/content/student-exchange-program-quebec. Students must sign the form and have their parents or guardian sign it as well.

Failure to answer one or more questions, or giving a false answer, can result in rejection of the student’s application.

Within the specified deadline, students submit the duly completed “Application Form” to the liaison teacher responsible for exchanges at their school.

Note: Students and their family may not select a specific city or region in Québec.

2.2 STUDENT SELECTION

Students and their parents or guardian must agree to a visit to their home by the selection committee, consisting of two representatives of the host school or the school board. The committee then fills out the “Interview Questionnaire”.

If the student’s application is accepted, the selection committee then forwards their recommendation with the student’s application file to the exchange program provincial coordinator at the Nova Scotia Department of Education and Early Childhood Developmement, French Second Language division.

The student’s application, the home interview, the school’s recommendation, and the forwarding of the student file to the provincial coordinator must all be completed by the last day of March.

2.3 TWINNING PROCESS

The twinning of students from Nova Scotia and Québec is generally conducted in April or May under the responsibility of the Nova Scotia provincial coordinator and the program administrator for Québec (Éducation internationale). Before June, the provincial coordinator notifies the host school of the decisions made and forwards the twinned student’s files.

Twinning of students is considered official once the host schools and host families have received the file from the Québec student and once both families have given their consent. Students must not contact their host family until then.

Once both families have agreed, the Nova Scotia student must then contact his or her Québec twin by the end of June.

In the event that a student and his or her parents or guardians decide to move to a different home or school before September, the provincial coordinator will then make the appropriate arrangements to maintain or terminate the twinning of this student and the Québec student.

Note: The Nova Scotia and Québec provincial coordinators/program administrators make no commitment to twin all files they receive.

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2.4 PREPARATORY ACTIVITIES

An information booklet as well as other documents and the Québec student’s flight information will be forwarded to all Nova Scotia host families by mid-August. This information booklet helps to prepare Nova Scotia students and their families to receive the Québec student in their home and school (instructions for arrival day, culture shock, lifestyles, school environment, etc.). Schools may also organize activities to prepare Nova Scotia students for the exchange (presentation, exhibition on Québec etc.). School liaison teachers and parents may also advise and encourage Nova Scotia students to read about Québec. Preparation for keeping up with academic requirements of Nova Scotia schools: Fulfillment of all academic requirements must be planned with the Nova Scotia teachers and especially with the second semester or full-year teachers long before the student’s departure in February. The liaison teacher or the guidance counsellor, in collaboration with all the student’s teachers, can request that the participating student complete certain tasks before and after the exchange. They should refrain from overburdening the students during the three month period that the student will be in Québec, as the student will need to keep up with all the academic requirements of the host school in Québec. Furthermore, a serious attempt will be made by the provincial coordinator to match the curriculum and student schedule from both schools while the student is in Québec. It is therefore requested that no assessed work from Nova Scotia schools be assigned to the Nova Scotia students when they are in Québec.

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3 DURING AND AFTER THE EXCHANGE

3.1 DEPARTURE

3.1.1 Documents

Students must have in their possession at the time of departure a copy of the electronic ticket. They will be given this copy in the pre-departure package that all participating students and their families will receive a month before departure in February.. It is vital that they check with the air carrier prior to departure whether the schedule has changed. For Air Canada, this information can be checked at: http://www.aircanada.com.

Each student must bring a copy of the medical treatment form and parental approval form.

Students must have details of their insurance coverage and emergency numbers.

Students must have in their possession a passport or a government-issued photo ID card.

Students must have enough pocket money in their possession for their travel.

3.1.2 Escort

The Nova Scotia provincial coordinator will accompany the Nova Scotia students to Québec. In certain special cases, students may travel without an escort.

3.1.3 Baggage

Students are informed in their pre-departure package of the baggage allowance. It is strongly suggested that students have a suitcase with wheels to facilitate transportation of baggage.

It is vital to check with the air carrier prior to departure whether baggage rules have changed. Upon departure, baggage must be labelled with the student’s name but the Québec twin’s address. For the return voyage, remember to change this to the Nova Scotia address.

3.2 ARRIVAL

3.2.1 September-December: Québec students in Nova Scotia

It is important to meet the Québec student at the airport, then integrate them into your school environment (tour of the school, integration into class, introductions to friends) and introduce them to Nova Scotia and your town or community.

3.2.2 February to May: Nova Scotia students in Québec

During the Nova Scotia student’s stay in Québec, it is recommended that contact with families and friends be limited to once a week. Telephone calls, emails, personal computers and cell phones should not distract students on the exchange.

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The Nova Scotia student may wish to record his or her impressions of and thoughts about the host school, the Québec school system, and Québec attitudes in a report or journal.

3.3 SUPERVISION AND ASSESSMENT OF STUDENTS

Liaison teachers from Nova Scotia schools must call students on exchange for the assessment following the first three weeks of their stay. The liaison teachers are also the contact person when a situation arises or if the parents or guardians have any questions. Upon returning home to Nova Scotia, the students must make an effort to complete school work missed during their absence.

3.4 CERTIFICATE OF PARTICIPATION AND APPLICATION FOR ACADEMIC CREDIT

All Québec and Nova Scotia students receive a certificate of participation in the exchange at the end of their stay. Only students who have completed the exchange will receive a certificate. However, this certificate issued by Éducation internationale for Québec students and by the Nova Scotia Department of Education and Early Childhood Development for Nova Scotia students at the end of the exchange does not constitute an academic credit. Nova Scotia students may, however, apply for an academic credit (Expérience culturelle 12) if they wish, but they need to apply before they leave for Québec, through their school’s guidance counsellor. Additional tasks are required in order to receive this credit, such as the successful completion of the program, the keeping of a daily journal, the production of an extensive cultural portfolio and additional assessment tasks. For further information, please visit the following website: https://fsl.ednet.ns.ca/content/cultural-experience-12-credit

Note: No credit can be given to Nova Scotia students for courses taken at their Québec host school.

3.5 PROCEDURE IF PROBLEMS ARISE

3.5.1 Contacts

The school liaison teachers in Nova Scotia and in Québec are the persons to contact if problems arise with students. They can provide advice or solutions and analyse the seriousness of the situation. They will contact the provincial coordinator if a serious issue requires their support.

Note: The provincial coordinators in Nova Scotia and in Québec are not the first point of contact if problems arise.

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3.5.2 Conditions for cancelling the exchange

An exchange may be cancelled only in cases of force majeure (serious illness or death of the student or next of kin).

Note: an exchange may not be cancelled for reasons of boredom or culture shock.

If major problems arise, here are the steps to follow:

The host family or the student’s family must immediately notify the liaison teacher at the school.

The liaison teacher must quickly notify the Nova Scotia provincial coordinator. The coordinator may contact the Québec coordinators (Education internationale) and inform them of the situation. Different solutions will be discussed in order to support the continuation of the exchange.

As a last resort, a decision on cancelling the exchange will be made by the Nova Scotia provincial coordinator in conjunction with the two families and Éducation internationale

The return home is organized in cooperation with the student’s family. Please note:

Airline ticket change fees must be paid by the parents of the student cancelling the exchange.

Return home by a Québec student does not automatically relieve that student of the duty to host the Nova Scotia exchange student in February.

3.6 CULTURE SHOCK

3.6.1 Culture shock during the exchange

“Culture shock” is defined as physical and emotional distress caused by leaving one’s familiar environment and entering an environment with different reference points. Discovering new cultures and gaining a better understanding of one’s own culture forms part of the experience for students spending a school semester in Québec. During their stay, students discover beliefs, customs, laws, languages, arts, religions, values, family structures, and social and political structures that differ from their own. In general, discovering a new culture is very enriching and positive for students, but can also be upsetting. The symptoms of culture shock:

Feeling ungrounded and homesick

Frustration, anger, nostalgia

Refusal to integrate into the community

Refusal to interact with people in the host culture and to speak the language of the host culture

Refusal to learn about the host culture; preference for elements of the culture of origin

Boredom, lethargy, irritability, hostility toward the local population

Sleep disruption and loss of appetite, weakened immune system

Anxiety, depression, isolation

Denigration of the new culture

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The various stages in cultural adjustment: 1. The first phase is wonderful: everything is new and exciting. Students are busy, making discoveries,

settling in… 2. The second phase is a little more difficult. Students realize they are there to work and start noticing

differences from their province of origin. This comparison phase focuses on the differences between the students’ initial expectations and the reality in situ.

3. The third phase involves comprehension and moderation. Students begin to gain a sense of balance and adapt to their new life.

4. The last phase is integration and acceptance of differences. The length of these phases varies among individuals. Cultural shock is often most intense following three weeks in the new surroundings How to deal with culture shock

Learn about the culture before you leave and continue learning after you arrive.

Prepare yourself to feel uncertainty and confusion, but assure yourself that you will also achieve great things and create unique memories throughout your stay.

Turn obstacles into adventures.

Integrate into the local culture.

Avoid stereotypes.

Approach the host culture with an open mind.

3.6.2 Returning home and reintegrating into one’s own culture

Students who spend time abroad experience genuine external and internal discoveries. The implications of these can often trigger fairly predictable consequences when students return home. Many people think it is easy returning home, but reintegration also requires a period of adaptation. For about half of travellers, their return is trouble-free and readapting is fairly easy. For the other half, reinsertion is harder and sometimes leads to a measure of distress. In general, the more anchored the perception of an easy and automatic reintegration, the longer and more difficult readaptation will be.

Note: Awareness of culture shock and return shock gives you the chance to prevent difficult moments during the exchange period and to know how to behave to get through this without too much difficulty. Expect an adjustment period when you return home, talk about your experience, or write in a journal as a way of minimizing return shock and focusing on your experience.

3.7 GENERAL REVIEW AND OUTREACH FOLLOWING THE EXCHANGE

Following the exchange, students can engage in the following activities.

Talk about their experience with the liaison teacher at their school.

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Make a presentation about their experience in class.

Write an article in the school newspaper.

Offer their services to help promote the program for the following year.

Offer their services as a resource person for another student participating the following year.

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4 COMPARISON OF EDUCATION SYSTEMS IN NOVA SCOTIA AND IN QUÉBEC

Students must not expect to take exactly the same courses or to be in the same school year as in Nova Scotia. Nova Scotia high schools are semestered with the first semester beginning in September and concluding at the end of January and the second semester beginning in February and concluding at the end of June. Most courses are semestered while some are year-long. Nova Scotia high school students usually complete 3 to 4 courses each semester, with the exception of the occasional year-long course. Québec schools are not semestered and all courses begin in September and conclude at the end of June. Most Québec high school students take 9 courses a year. Some Québec high schools offer some special programs (sports, arts, global issues) with special scheduling arrangements. Some Québec private schools participate in the Nova Scotia/Québec Six Month Student Exchange Program; this is not case in Nova Scotia. The diagram below shows the two education systems:

Nova Scotia system

Year of study

Système québécois

Ele

men

tary

Sch

oo

ol

Grade Primary

Maternelle

Grade 1

1 1er É

cole

pri

mai

re Grade 2

2 2e

Grade 3

3 3e

Grade 4

4 4e

Grade 5

5 5e

Grade 6

6 6e

Jun

ior

Hig

h Grade 7

7 I

Éco

le s

eco

nd

aire

Grade 8

8 II

Grade 9

9 III

Hig

h S

cho

ol Grade 10

10 IV

Grade 11

11 V

Grade 12

12 Cégep Cégep

University

Community College

13 Cégep Cégep

University

Community College

14 Université Cégep

University

15 Université

University

16 Université