Art & Design
Children & Teenagers
Research: What is some of the most famous art, film, theatre, or music to come out of their native country? Take a good sample of it with an open mind. Do what you can to enjoy it and break out of your own cultural programming to find a part of you that you never knew was there.
Engineering & Technology
Children & Teenagers
Research: Find out what technology has been invented in their native country. Knowing this can increase your appreciation for how their nation has shaped the world that you know.
Language & Thinking
Literature
Children & Teenagers
Ask / Research: What is some of the most famous literature from their native country? Ask them if they have any recommendations of a book they think you would enjoy.
Life & Home Skills
Cooking
Children & Teenagers
Cook: Look up famous dishes from their native country or ask them what their favorite native dish is. Consider what ingredients are available to you and get cooking.
Social Sciences
Geography
Children & Teenagers
Explore: Visit the native land of the foreign exchange student on Google Earth.
Children & Teenagers
Read: Get a guide book from the library and go through it to learn conversation topics with the foreign exchange student.
Children & Teenagers
Watch: Watch a travel show of the place the exchange student is from.
History
Children & Teenagers
Research: Look up who the most influential people were in their nation’s history and research them. You may find an opening to an interesting rabbit hole you never would have gone down otherwise.
Languages
Children & Teenagers
Memorize & Practice: If the native language of the foreign exchange student is different from your own, learn the basics of their native language and practice with them.
Values
Religion
Children & Teenagers
Ask & Research: Learn about the traditional religious beliefs of their native culture. What are the core beliefs? From what book of scripture do they come? Who founded the religion? How has the religion played a role in their life? How has it shaped their family history?
How else might important subject matter be learned from this interest topic? Comment below! Half-baked ideas are more than welcome, too.