TWAYF: Know Your Hosts

[The World At Your Fingertips (10011 bytes)]

Before you embark on your adventure abroad, it is essential that you inform yourself about your host country. This preparation will give you a strong foundation of general knowledge about the country, upon which you can build a more specific knowledge through your interaction with the culture while you are there. It will also give you a good indication of some of the similarities and differences from the U.S that you will have to cope with. In addition to preparing yourself to live abroad through researching your host country, it is also crucial that you have a strong knowledge of your own country so that you may provide your hosts with insights into your cultural background. This page contains many helpful links to conduct your research!

Helpful Sites for Finding Host Country Information

A Few Questions to Ask Yourself About Your Host Country

How far is it?
MapBlast!
MapQuest!
Virtual Tourist Maps
World City Maps
World Time Server (look up local times around the world)

AJR NewsLink
CNN Interactive
CNN Weather
E&P Directory of Online Newspapers
Foreign Language News Links
National Public Radio
The New York Times on the Web
The Wall Street Journal Interactive Edition
USA TODAY
World Wide News Sources on The Internet
WWW News Resource Page (click on "Newspapers/Other News outside U.S.")

[Dot (566 bytes)] What type of government does your host country have? Who do the majority and minority parties represent and who are their leaders? What are the distinguishing differences among these parties?

[Dot (566 bytes)] What is the geography of your host country like? How about the climate?

[Dot (566 bytes)] Do you know a brief history of your host country? How long has it been independent? Was it a colonizer or a colony? Was it a major power in the region at some time? Did it win or lose any important wars? How long has the current governmental structure and/or system been in operation?

[Dot (566 bytes)] What is the education system like? How much education is compulsory? Does the government heavily subsidize higher education?

[Dot (566 bytes)] What languages are present? Are these official or unofficial? Do these languages represent any geographical, economic or other divisions?

[Dot (566 bytes)] What religions are present? Are these official or unofficial? What do you know about these religions (e.g., beliefs, practices, holidays)? If the country is mainly Christian, does it have a patron saint?

[Dot (566 bytes)] Who are the service workers of your host country? Did they come from somewhere else and why? Who are the elite of your host country? Is there an indigenous population? How do these groups relate?

[Dot (566 bytes)] Who are the national heroes/heroines? Who are the celebrities?

[Dot (566 bytes)] What kind of relationship does your host country have with the USA?

[Dot (566 bytes)] Are the roles of men and women in your host distinctly different? How are these difference manifested? How should you respond to this while in the culture?

[Dot (566 bytes)] What is appropriate school dress for men? For women? How about social occasion dress for men? For women? How should you dress in order to be appropriate in your host country?

[Dot (566 bytes)] Is your host country culture formal or informal when meeting new people? How does the culture respond to personal questions?

[Dot (566 bytes)] What is the formal way of greeting someone in your host country? The informal way? Do they use gestures like handshakes, kisses, hugs, etc.?

[Dot (566 bytes)] What is a "typical" home visit like?

[Dot (566 bytes)] What familiar "western" gestures are used in normal conversation? Which gestures might be considered inappropriate or insulting?

[Dot (566 bytes)] What is the place of family life in your host culture? Is most entertaining at home or away? Is it formal or informal?

[Dot (566 bytes)] What are the dating and marriage customs of your host culture (e.g., typical age? Do couples live together before/instead of marriage?, Are there church or civil ceremonies?)

[Dot (566 bytes)] What do the people of your host country eat (i.e., what are the typical foods)? Which meals are eaten at home or outside the home? By whom?

[Dot (566 bytes)] What are the popular sports and entertainment activities of your host culture? What do these reflect about the people in your host country? About the age groups?

[Dot (566 bytes)] What are normal business hours? What are the major holidays and what determines these holidays (religion, state laws, politics, etc.)?

Please read our FAQ before e-mailing CIE.

Information linked to this page does not constitute an endorsement by UCI or the Center for International Education.