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Montze Mendoza

On Friday, Feb. 26, sophomore Juan Gonzales and Morad Daachi engage in a brotherly embrace in front of the American flag to demonstrate their fondness of one another. The foreign exchange students shadowed their hosts for a total of two weeks, between Feb. 20 through March 5, as an assignment for the French II class.

In order to improve on their English and experience California, foreign exchange students from France visit Downey High School from Mon., February 22 to Fri., March 4.

Seven students from France will be visiting Downey High School, but the total amount of exchange students in California are forty nine. Volunteers, like Juan Gonzalez from Madame Salvato’s French classes, are hosting the students.

“I like having an exchange student because it allowed me to challenge my knowledge in French and expand my vocabulary,” Gonzalez said. “It was a very fun experience and I’m glad I did it, it allowed me to understand the culture my exchange student.”

Madame Salvato hopes that her students, as well as the foreign exchange students, gain new knowledge and enjoy themselves.

“I wish the same thing for them as I do for my own students,” Salvato said, “that this experience will increase their first-hand knowledge and appreciation of the other culture.”

The hosts provide a place for the exchange students to sleep and food to eat. One of those hosts is Cesar Larios.

“It’s exhilarating,” Larios said, “I feel like if I got another brother, translated into a different language.”

The foreign exchange students, like Charles Champieux, have also expressed how different the certain things are from France and what it is like to live with a complete stranger.

“I like PacSun and In-N-Out, because we don’t have that in France,” Champieux said. “I like my host; we get along through football. That is how we bond.”

Madame Salvato is thankful that her students were able to experience this once in a lifetime event.

“I am very grateful to the host families who extended this wonderful gesture of generosity and friendship towards these guest students by welcoming them into their homes,” Salvato said. “I am grateful also to Mr. Houts for allowing these students to visit our campus.”

The exchange students shadow their hosts on a daily basis to learn English and about American culture. This is the first time students from France have visited Downey High School in an exchange program. The students have field trips to San Diego and in Los Angeles planned during their stay in California.