A global crop; Exchange student lives farm life.

Byline: Debbie LaPlaca

DUDLEY - What do swimming, cows and the Ruda family have in common? They top the list of favorite things for a city-dwelling teen who recently visited from China.

Thirteen-year-old Huang Hongbo is an only child who lives with his parents in a three-room apartment in Zhuhai, a subtropical seaport city in southern China.

His three-week stay in the United States provided opportunities to improve his English, gain cultural enrichment and experience the American family way of life.

Tammy and Jonathan Ruda offered their home as Huang's global classroom.

"I love my host family," Huang said during an interview in the Ruda's home.

Huang traveled with Education First of Boston as part of its immersion learning and cultural exchange program. He was among 35 students from China and 35 from Spain who stayed with host families in Charlton, Dudley, Oxford, Southbridge and Spencer.

The Rudas learned of the program through their son Travis Moroney's Boy Scout troop.

"I was able to pick who I thought had a lot of the same interests as my son," Mrs. Ruda said.

Huang was "a little scared at first," then became comfortably immersed in the summertime activities of his host family.

With Travis, 11, he biked, fished and played computer games. Sisters Abigail Ruda, 5, and Sabrina Moroney, 15, joined family outings of swimming and tubing on Webster Lake.

Mr. Ruda said that despite their cultural differences, "Kids are kids, and they all giggle at the same things."

Huang is about to enter Grade 8 in a middle school in which boys and girls wear uniforms and must keep their hair short. He is a good student, loves to read and speaks fluent English. After school, Huang adheres to a strict schedule of homework and practice at the piano. He has never been to a sleepover or played a video entertainment system.

"I think it's a great thing for our kids to see how differently he lives. They had no idea how lucky they are," Mrs. Ruda said.

Founded in 1965, EF is billed as the world's largest private educational company. It offers travel, cultural exchanges, language training and academic degrees.

Diane Sullivan, of EF in Charlton, said the program for 13- to 18-year-olds is designed to improve their English speaking skills and knowledge of American culture.

"I love doing this," she said of her seven years heading the program. "I work hard in trying to place the right student with the right family."

The students...