Brunts School is hosting young people from across the globe, including teenagers from Italy, Germany, Japan, Denmark and Venezuela.

The 16-18-year-olds have been given the chance to come and study in Mansfield thanks to non-profit group Education First Foundation for Foreign Study (EF), which is aiming to break down cultural barriers between young people.

Experiences

Each student has been put up by a local family who look after them while they carry out their studies.

And this week we spoke to some of the young people about their experiences in the town and how they have settled in.

German student Jana Brehmera told Chad: "I wanted to improve my English and to see another part of the world. I had heard from friends who had done it before so I applied to EF and was lucky enough to be selected.

"The people in Mansfield are very nice and interested in us and my host family are lovely so I am extremely thankful that they have let me live with them."

And Matteo Escudé, from Italy, said: "It is a great opportunity for us to be independent because we are away from our families and have to manage things that normally our parents would.

"You do miss your family when you are here but it is very important for us to learn English and this is a great way to do so."

The school's post-16 learning manager Mark Plunkett told Chad the project was good news for foreign students and the school's own young people.

"The students come over for a new experience and it is a great way for them to learn about England and improve their language skills," he said.

"Before they are selected they are judged on their English speaking level so we can be sure they will fit quite comfortably into our regular scheduled lessons –– often it is easy to forget they are even foreign.

"We also give them one hour a week where they can all get together and learn English as well as enjoy each others' company.

"Our students are always very open minded and welcoming to them and it is great to see them all getting along with each other and learning about each other's culture."

Each student spends about nine months in the UK and their host family is provided with £200 each month to cover their board and food.

While here they are expected to carry out one academic year before returning to their home country.

The current students are expected to finish their studies at Brunts in June and they are going to cap off their experience with a party before they fly home.

EF local co-ordinator Kate Halouva told Chad she is currently looking for new host families to accommodate students.

For further details contact Kate on Mansfield 483637 or email www.efhighschoolyear.co.uk.