Years ago, junior school pupils were regularly asked whether they wanted American pen friends. It was a rather random selection procedure, but it established long-lasting friendships which have often stood the test of time, expanding horizons, literally and metaphorically.
It makes it possible to visit many regions in the U.S. very cheaply, and see them from an insider's perspective. As a tourist, you certainly don't get invited to celebrate family weddings and graduations, or to stay in lakeside summer cottages. Here in England it's unusual for an American tourist to venture further north than Oxford, or maybe York, but a pen friend could equally find him or herself in Northumberland or deepest rural Scotland or Wales with unexpected wild empty landscapes.
A Foreign Language Pen Friend
At the ripe old age of 14, with 3 years of French (or other languages) under their belts, the Foreign Exchange beckons to secondary school children. Even the difficult business of writing a letter or message in a foreign language doesn't seem so bad when there's the prospect of a long summer holiday abroad at the end of the year.
Sadly these days many schools don't do these organised trips between schools here and abroad because of the ridiculous bureaucracy involved in Health and Safety regulations. They should. The value to young people in terms of increasing self confidence and learning the language is incalculable. Incredibly, in three weeks they return with the ability to chat in another language, something they'd never learn from three weeks' worth of grammatical exercises for homework.
It's often the inspiration behind youngsters becoming linguists and taking up important careers in business or diplomacy. So if you're a parent of a teenager, pester your child's school to participate in foreign exchanges, and encourage your child to make contact with someone somewhere, and make a life-long link.
Maintaining the Link
It's not always plain sailing, though. Even when the pair initially seem to have a lot in common, interest can sometimes fade. The answer is, that both sides need to make a commitment and if one partner is less enthusiastic the whole deal falls apart.
Having a friend to write to from early childhood and maintaining that friendship over the years is like being a member of an extended family in a culture other than the one you're accustomed to. Parents, children and grandchildren are all the same age, and with world travel becoming increasingly easy and cheap, the links grow stronger through frequent visits. In fact, it's quite common for the children of pen friends to become the next generation of correspondents. In a way it's better: they'll already know the family so there's less risk of things going wrong.
It's never too late to begin, (what about acquiring a new pen friend to celebrate retirement?) and it's never to early to encourage children to start writing or emailing.
