In Europe, many people make friends across the borders between their countries through town twinning. Town or city twinning means two towns in different countries agree and decide to become "twins" with sister city relationship. Their citizens find pen friends in the twin town. They exchange newspapers and stamps. The school teachers discuss teaching methods with the teachers in the twin town. Officials visit the twin town for celebrations. Ordinary citizens travel to the twin town, too, but not very often if it is far away. Sometimes, schools even exchange their classes for two or three weeks! For example, German middle school students study for a while at the school in their twin town in Britain, staying with British families. A few months later, their British friends come to study in Germany. Some towns even arrange exchange visits for theatre groups, choirs and orchestras ( ). Others send lecturers to the twin town who tell the people there all about their own town , and show photos and slides. Town twining can help make friends and motivate  people to learn from each other. It helps students to improve their language skills, and it contributes to  strengthening peace and understanding between different nations. Twin towns develop   _  .
between European countries and China in the English-speaking countries only in the same country between different countries in Europe