7 Reasons to Study a Language Abroad
You want to study and learn a new language. In order to do so, you can either stay in your home country and take courses at a language school or with a tutor, study online or you can choose the more exciting and effective option: pack your bags and study a language abroad. Studying a language abroad is an adventure! You will go outside your comfort zone and immerse yourself in a new language and culture.
If you have any doubts or your parents are wondering why you should study a language abroad, keep in mind these 7 important reasons.
1. Optimal way to learn a language
Being immersed in the culture that speaks the language you’re learning is probably the best and most effective way to learn a language proficiently. You’re surrounded by the language 24/7 and on a daily basis you'll have the chance to hear it in the proper context with a local accent. These circumstances make learning more practical and quicker.
2. Opportunity to travel
When you study a language abroad, you can use your weekends and academic breaks to explore your surroundings. Studying a language abroad usually puts you on a different continent, and brings you closer to places you might not normally have the chance to see. Also, some programs have field trips planned as an integrated part of the curriculum or as optional activities.
3. First-hand cultural experience
The difference between two cultures is more than just difference in language, food and personal habits. Culture reflects deeply in one’s perceptions, the way a person sees things, his or her beliefs and values which have a big influence on their lives. Those who experience other cultures in person can truly understand other people better.
4. Skills and experience
When you study a language abroad you will develop new skills and gain different experiences. This is something a regular classroom setting at home will not provide you! The entirely different cultural setting and the new ‘scenery’ is scary at first but it can also be exciting and valuable. This is a unique opportunity to discover your strengths and abilities, tackle new challenges and learn new ways to solve problems. Almost every situation you come across will be different that the one back home!
5. Friendships
When you study a language abroad, you will not only ‘hang out’ with other natives of the culture in which you are studying, but you will also meet and get to spend time with your fellow classmates, who are also far from home, just like you. Also, fellow classmates represent their own culture, so next to being immersed in the culture of the country you’re studying in, you will also get to learn about other distant cultures. You will certainly make friends from around the world.
6. Broader worldview
Students who study a language abroad usually return home with more information, new ideas and a much less biased perspective towards other countries, cultures and nations!
7. Break the routine & get outside your comfort zone!
Studying abroad is most likely to be very different and unlike what you are used to at home. There is an entirely different world out there, with a different academic system, different foods and ways of living and you will get to experience that (and learn about and from it) in a way that you cannot possibly do in your home country! Studying a language abroad is also an excellent chance to break the day-to-day routine and revive yourself and your education!
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