••All Americans are rich and I will live with a rich
family. The myth that “all Americans are rich” is
believed in many parts of the world. Students may
have this idea and be surprised and unprepared to
live with an average American family. This expectation
that all Americans are rich may also lead to some
misconceptions about spending money.
Many of the students come from upper-middle-class
families and are used to more than modest living. It
is very common in some countries to have domestic
employees do the cleaning, washing, gardening, etc.
Hiring someone from outside the family to do these
tasks is a common way of employing workers in many
countries. What an American family might pay for
someone to come one day a week to clean the house
could pay for a full-time, live-in maid in another
country.
••I will travel and see all of the USA. Some students
may think of their trip to the USA as a vacation or
opportunity to travel. They sometimes do not think of
the experience as becoming a member of a f