Studying abroad is a great method of learning a new language or improving your language skills. A couple of months can teach you more than years of primary, middle, or high school language courses. If you put in some effort, of course. But what is the best way to learn a language? The answer: deep immersion. Sounds obvious, right? Let’s take a closer look.
You probably don’t have a lot of time to invest, so we have crafted a list of possible ways that easily integrate into your everyday life. The following advice depends on which stage of your study abroad journey you are finding yourself at.
Before Your Study Abroad Journey
Before you set off on your international adventure, it’s important to lay a solid foundation in the language you wish to master. This will make the start easier. What are good ways to prepare yourself?
- Reading: A golden rule is to read as much as possible at any level! It doesn’t matter what you read – whether children’s, crime, fantasy, or your favorite genre. Most importantly, you are motivated. If you are a beginner, look for bilingual books. They are particularly useful because they show side-by-side text in two languages. This allows you to compare the original text with the translation in real time. If you read enough, you won’t even have to bother worrying about learning the grammar that much. It will come naturally to you with time. However, if you are anxious about understanding the grammar correctly and want to speed up the pace of your language learning, you should definitely research and learn the rules.
- Labeling: This one is for absolute beginners and more for setting the language learning mood. My flatmate wanted to learn Spanish, so she came up with the idea of labeling all the furniture she could find with the Spanish expression. My Spanish is as lousy as it gets, but at least I am able to recognize words like refrigerador (refrigerator), espejo (mirror), and ventana (window) thanks to her!
- Karaoke: Language learning should be fun! Why not look up the most popular songs in the language you are trying to learn and sing them karaoke-style? It’s a fun way to practice pronunciation and intonation. Moreover, you will discover new songs and artists.
- Podcasts: There are a lot of interesting podcasts out there that cover a wide range of topics. Choose one in the language you are trying to learn. This will help you familiarize yourself with different accents and vocabularies. Plus, this one is very easy to integrate into your daily life. You can listen to the podcast while cooking, when going out for a walk, or while sitting on the train.
- Movies, series and videos: Try to watch movies, series, or videos in the language you are aiming to learn. You can put subtitles in your native language so you can grasp the meaning.
Arriving at Your Study Abroad Destination
- Language Diary: Write down new words you have been learning with the translation. It can be incredibly motivating to witness the growth in your vocabulary. Also, try to be thorough. Try to resist the temptation to skip translating words you don’t understand. At some point, you will have to translate the words anyway. To put off translating will only slow down your learning process.
- Daily Interactions: Push your comfort zone. Try to actively use the language you want to learn in your daily interactions. If you find yourself in Norway, for example, resist the temptation to go back to speaking English out of fear of making mistakes in Norwegian. When you are at a restaurant, try ordering in the language you are trying to learn. It doesn’t matter whether the waiters reply in English – most importantly, you’re trying!
- Friends: Try not to only hang out with international students that are: A) from your home country speaking your mother tongue; B) so fluent in English that there is literally no need to speak anything but English (except if you are trying to improve your English, of course). In short: make as many friends as possible who speak the local language fluently. Try talking to them in their native tongue. The same goes for texting them on social media platforms. If you are facing the problem of your friends speaking or texting only in English to you, make it clear that you would like to practice speaking and texting to them in their native language. They will understand! Moreover, encourage them to correct you if you make mistakes. Otherwise, the chances are high that they will never correct you. In turn, you will miss out on opportunities to improve.
After Returning From YOur Study Abroad Journey
- Keep practicing: You greatly improved your language skills during your study abroad journey? Great, well done! You might now be facing the problem of not having someone around to practice the language with in your home country. Unfortunately, there is a real chance of your language skills getting worse over time now that you are no longer able to deeply immerse yourself in the language. To counteract this, stay in contact with the friends you have made. Text and phone them regularly. Keep reading books, listening to podcasts, and watching movies. You will never be done with learning a language. Perhaps that is the beauty of language learning. It’s a process that lasts a lifetime.
Conclusion
It is important to remind yourself that every conversation, every mistake, and every correction brings you one step closer to proficiency. A language is a skill: it needs practice. Deeply immerse yourself in the language you would like to learn. You will be rewarded. Be fearless! You got this!