A structured, exam-style discursive essay weighing the advantages and disadvantages of international exchange visits for teenagers, with a clear position and model paragraphing for English written exams in VGS.
Faglig kvalitetssikret av lærere og toppstudenter · Følger læreplanen (LK20) · Sist oppdatert 2026-09-06
Every year, thousands of teenagers leave their home country for a few weeks or months to study abroad on an international exchange. Some educationalists argue that these visits are one of the most valuable experiences a school can offer, while others worry about the disruption and cost involved. This essay will argue that, although exchange visits carry real risks, the long-term benefits for a young person's language skills, independence and cultural understanding clearly outweigh the drawbacks.
The most obvious advantage is language learning. A teenager who spends a term in another country is forced to use a foreign language in real situations, from ordering food to arguing with a host sibling. This kind of immersion produces fluency that no classroom can match, because the student hears and speaks the language every hour of the day rather than for a few lessons a week.
A second benefit is personal growth. Living away from parents, even with a host family, means that young people must manage their own routines, solve small problems on their own and adapt to unfamiliar customs. Many students return more confident and more independent, and these qualities help them later in higher education and working life.
Finally, exchange visits build genuine cultural understanding. Reading about another country is not the same as sitting at its dinner table, celebrating its holidays and hearing how ordinary families see the world. Teenagers who have lived abroad are often more open-minded and less quick to judge people who are different from them, which is a valuable trait in an increasingly connected world.
On the other hand, the disadvantages are not trivial. Exchange programmes can be expensive, and families on lower incomes may be unable to afford them, which risks turning a good opportunity into a privilege for the wealthy. There is also the emotional cost: homesickness is common, and a small number of students have a genuinely unhappy placement with a host family they do not get along with.
In addition, some critics point out that a long visit abroad can interrupt a student's academic progress at home, especially if the curriculum in the host country is very different. A teenager may return to find their class has moved ahead in mathematics or science, and catching up can be stressful.
These concerns are real, but most of them can be reduced. Scholarships and school funding can widen access so that exchange visits are not limited to richer families. Good preparation, careful matching of students to host families and proper support from both schools mean that serious problems are rare. The academic gap, meanwhile, is usually temporary and small compared with the lasting gains in language and maturity.
In conclusion, international exchange visits do involve costs and risks, and schools should take these seriously rather than pretend they do not exist. However, when the visits are well organised and open to all, the advantages – fluency in a foreign language, greater independence and real cultural understanding – are far more significant and far more lasting than the disadvantages. For most teenagers, the experience is worth it.