The following is a second excerpt from an article in Fitted Pieces by SHARE. The panel focuses on national schools as an educational option for expatriate families. It includes Cynthia Storrs (a teacher and parent whose children attended national schools and…

The issues of time and commitment involved in using national schools are major sources of misunderstanding for parents. Many parents assume that going to a national school in a second language will be just as easy as going to the local school in America or elsewhere. They are unaware of the cultural and linguistic demands being placed on their child. Succeeding academically in a second language is far more difficult and demanding than the conversational fluency they may be trying to achieve themselves.

[author][author_info]Nancy Elwood is the co-founder of PACE, and serves as executive director of SHARE, where she leads a staff of education consultants serving throughout Europe and Eurasia. Nancy and her husband Mike live in Budapest, Hungary, and have two adult…