The most important phrase to learn

As a parent, you are probably thinking that the most important phrase your child should absolutely know before leaving is something like "please" or maybe "do you speak English?" or "where is the bathroom?" I would argue that those are good phrases for tourists to learn, but that they are not the most important for an exchange student living with a host family. Before I tell you the phrase I think is most critical, I will share two stories that form the basis of my opinion.

My first story is from my experience in Peru as a 17-year-old. On the second day I was with my host family, I came down before dinner and saw that the table was not set even though the plates, cups, and silverware were out on the counter top. Wanting to be helpful, I set the table as I would have if I had been with my American family. My host mother patiently took everything off the table and served each person individually from the stove.

Fast forward 25 years - - On one of my daughter's first days with her permanent host family, she went to the kitchen before dinner. She wasn't sure what needed to be done, so she thought she would watch for a minute to figure out what she could do. Her host mom became upset because she felt that my daughter was waiting to be served.

On the surface, these two situations seem different - - I did the wrong thing, and my daughter didn't do anything. However, what they have in common is that they both could have been avoided by our asking, "how can I help?" In the interest of fitting in with the host family, I highly recommend your child learn this phrase before leaving.