Zealand, Japan, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States.
Since each program differs in duration, content and age criteria, please contact the AFS for detailed descriptions of each program.
Common components of all AFS secondary school programs are:
AFS students live with host families selected by AFS. The family homestay provides the opportunity to learn first-hand about the culture as well as to enhance language ability.
The participation fee includes international travel, medical insurance, orientation, and materials for language instruction. Visa fees are the responsibility of the participant. Special travel arrangements, if requested, are at the participant's expense.
Orientations are provided for students before departure to and upon arrival in the host country.
Applications must be submitted with a non-refundable HK$200 application fee, and a photocopy of the last year's school report (1 year). AFS will contact you to arrange participation in an interview and orientation.
Population: 14,235,000
Capital: Santiago
Language: Spanish
Religion: Roman Catholic
Currency: Peso
Chile is the longest and most slender country on the continent of South America. It is 4,200 kilometres long and twice the size of Japan. With its extremely diverse scenery and climate, Chile is broken into four geographical regions: the northern desert, the central valley, the southern lake region and the archipelago of the far south.
The northern region or Atacama Desert is the driest place in the world, with very little vegetation but rich in mineral deposits. Cities in the region are located on the coast to take advantage of the more moderate climate and cool ocean breezes.
The central valley, where 65% of Chile’s population live, is a fertile region, known as the economic and political center of Chilean life with Santiago as the Capital. Winters are cold, especially during June and July with temperatures ranging from freezing to 15ºC. Summers are hot and dry with a maximum of 35ºC.
Known for its beautiful and abundant lakes and rivers the Lake Region is as a popular holiday destination. It is in this area that most of the Araucanian Indians still live. This region is known for the cold wet winters and the warm pleasant summers with an average temperature of 25ºC.
The sparsely populated (less than 1%) archipelago of the far south consists of mountains, thick forests and islands, mostly unvisited. Summer in this region is very brief passing over to the freezing conditions of winter with constant winter wind.
The language spoken in Chile is Spanish, most people speaking little or no English. Most Chileans are Catholic, professing their religious beliefs in a relaxed and casual way.
AFS started its program in Chile in 1958, when eight Chilean students went to the US for a year. In 1961 the first group of North American students came to Chile for the summer. Since then more than 2500 Chileans have had the opportunity to participate in the sending program, while Chile has hosted more than 1800 students from all over the world.
The Chilean school year begins in the first 2 weeks of March and continues until December, with two vacation periods - one in June/July for two weeks and another week in September. In Chile the student is required to study between 10 and 13 subjects on a weekly basis, staying with the same group of classmates.
Most schools offer few social or sport activities and young people usually meet in recreational centres or in friends homes for social events.
The most common styles of housing are colonial styles of traditional Spanish houses built along the sidewalk, the modern style of chalet houses, or apartments with walled in front gardens.
Life is very family oriented, centring around the home, gathering together at certain times to share each other’s activities and a meal. Parents tend to treat boys differently to girls, trying to protect girls more so than boys. Generally the father is the primary breadwinner of the family and this tradition is passed on to the boys of the family, providing them with better opportunities for education.
Visitors receive a very warm welcome from Chileans, who are intensely patrotic and unceasing in their efforts to ensure visitors share their opinion that Chile is the best country in the world.
AFS Chile's Web Site : http://www.afs.org/partners/chihome.htm
View letters from students to Chile.
Argentina / Australia / Austria / Belgium / Brazil / Canada / Czech Republic / Chile / Denmark / Finland / France / Germany / Hungary / Italy / Latvia / Japan / Mexico / New Zealand / Norway / Spain / Sweden / Switzerland / Thailand / The Netherlands / the United States.
