Until you have been inside an Austrian coffee house it’s hard to imagine just how charming they are, and just how quickly you'll devour an apple strudel and order another.
But Austria has more to offer than just strudel and schnitzel.
By understanding more about our Austrian exchange students’ lives back home, it will help you gain insight into their culture and background and prepare you for a successful hosting experience.
Let’s start by learning about what’s typical in Austrian communication, home life, education and food, as described by our program participants.
Educational system
Austrian students have a high level of responsibility when it comes to homework and studying.
Tests are less frequent and rarely have multiple choice options.
Students have the same classmates in most classes, and most of the subjects cannot be chosen but are obligatory.
Extracurricular activities, such as sports and chess clubs, are not organized by the school but instead by parents and community groups.
Parents feel that time outside of school should not be completely structured with extracurricular activities.
Many Austrians believe that free time to play encourages children to develop important values like respect and empathy.
Unlike some other countries in Europe, many Austrian exchange students do not have to repeat the school year back home after returning from exchange.
Austrian students participating in a full academic school year abroad will not repeat the corresponding school year back home.
Communication style
Austrian communication is direct, and many students have a difficult time understanding hints or passive requests.
They can be very direct, but do not intend to be mean.
Using swear words casually in Austria is common.
Austrian humor may be sarcastic.
They may be reserved initially and are not accustomed to small talk.
Food habits
While regional dishes vary, potatoes, noodles, dumplings, sauces, vegetables and pastries are traditional in Austria.
Healthier diets with vegetables and organic food are becoming popular.
Austrians buy groceries often and prefer fresh foods for cooking.
Pork, beef and chicken are popular in Austria.
Due to their proximity to Italy, Austrians also love Italian food.
The legal drinking age for beer and wine in Austria is 16, though they must wait until 18 to drink spirits.
Home life
Austrian teenagers tend to be more independent than their Irish counterparts.
Austrian teens typically do not have curfew or need to check-in regularly with parents.
In many Austrian families both parents work, therefore it is common for children to go to and from school by themselves starting at the age of six.
Austrian students are not used to asking for rides as most ride their bike or take public transportation.
Most Austrians enjoy the outdoors and spend a lot of time being active and participating in sports.
Day trips with the family are quite common in Austria.
Many students spend their weekends with family on day trips to nearby parks, nature reserves or museums