The traditional school language exchange used to be a staple part of learning a language. However, these schemes have been in decline for the past several years, and now just 39% of British secondary schools currently support language exchange programs. This decline has been caused by increased pressure on teachers around organisation, health & safety regulations, and parental concerns about their children staying with strangers. This does not mean that language exchanges have become redundant; evidence suggests that a language exchange can have substantial learning benefits. One expert estimates that a language exchange can help a child achieve a GCSE grade of up to half a grade higher than they would have achieved without taking part in an exchange. . The demand for child language exchanges and the decline of the current model inspired Lingoo founders Peter and Anne Goldstein to launch Lingoo, in order to provide an alternative to inflexible school led language exchanges.
Advantages of a Lingoo Arranged Language Exchange
- Ability to choose from a number of different families looking for an exchange
- Can communicate with potential exchange family via secure Lingoo messaging feature
- Can arrange an exchange date and duration that suits both families
- Ability to arrange a language holiday for your child without hosting a family using Lingoo Homestay Hosted option.
The Lingoo language exchange platform gives parents control over the process of finding a suitable family to send their child to as part of a language exchange. The Lingoo messaging feature allows parents to communicate and develop a relationship with their exchange family prior to leaving. Finally, the platform gives flexibility on the date and duration of an exchange to fit the schedule of both parties, in contrast to a rigidly prescribed time that is determined by the schools in a school led exchange. Language exchanges can have a positive impact on the language learning experience of your child: Lingoo gives flexibility, choice, and peace of mind to you when finding an exchange family.