Have you ever dreamed of going to Europe, Asia, or the US and spending your time with foreign students?
Although the impact of COVID-19 has greatly reduced the likelihood of people traveling, there are still a number of ways to have language immersion programs.
Let’s take a look at why people prefer to learn languages abroad with a few benefits and facts.
Why learn a language abroad?
Going to a foreign country to do language studies can become nerve-wracking.
You’ll not know what to do if the classroom setting is totally different from what you’re used to.
However, if your goal is to have intensive language courses, one of the best ways to speed up your language levels is to go to your target language’s country.
If you have been traveling all over the world, you’ll know what it feels like to be exposed to different people, cultural differences, and
A personalized learning method is possible, but it’s not going to give the same satisfaction when you see and hear native speakers of your target language.
That said, motivation is one of the key reasons why people learn languages abroad.
If you’re already immersed in that country, your motivation to achieve language fluency is higher than studying online or back in your hometown.
Benefits of visiting a country to learn a foreign language
Aside from the motivation that you need, there are other benefits of improving your foreign language skills while abroad.
Learning a new language not only gives it an edge in school and on your job, but it also creates better vacation and travel experiences.
When you can ask for directions, order a meal, and negotiate at markets in a destination’s official language, you earn respect and better pricing.
Aside from the fact that multilingual professionals with a qualifying degree frequently make more money in the workplace, the chances of landing an international job (or gig that pays you to travel the world) are very good.
Here are some other benefits:
- Improve your CV for more job opportunities
- Experience a vacation while you’re achieving your career goals
- Encourage having self-assurance and resilience with new people around you
- Experience a new culture and develop a receptive and sensitive heart to a universe of fresh possibilities
- Journey across the world
Costs of Language Schools
There is a learning guarantee when you study abroad. But not everything is cheap, especially if you’re booking airplane tickets.
The cost of studying at a language school depends on where you want to live and how much time you want to spend on your studies.
The average tuition fee for a semester or year of study at a private language school is around $1,200 per month.
In fact, Japan has a language school program that costs 1,800USD or more for just 3-months. And if you’re interested to extend it to 1 year, you may have to pay between $12,000 to $17,000.
But, there are many schools in Europe or the US that offer scholarships. However, some of them have language requirements basic level of that language, and taking a placement test in your home country.
There’s a wide range of benefits that will not just affect your future studies but will also help your critical language skills as well as give career opportunities.
Language programs that you can try
Foreign language courses are more effective when you really immerse yourself with the people, culture, and other opportunities to interact with non-English speakers.
Classroom lessons are the best since living in that country as a student with no experience at all can be exciting and fun. You’ll get to discover a new
Student visas are common for anyone who wants to visit and learn languages. In your host country, it could either be you shouldering the expenses or the university you’ve applied to.
Many of these schools offer complete cultural immersion even if you’re studying in a local university!
Studying in a local university
Many schools in Europe such as Germany or the Netherlands allow foreign students to study in their local schools as a scholar with certain language requirements.
To pass schools like these, you need to have a placement test in your home country for at least the A2 or B1 level of your target language.
Moreover, you may have to decide if you’re going to get a special program or an undergraduate degree in that native language.
However, not all local universities can pay for your dorm fees or airplane ticket expenses.
You might want to search for schools that allow payment for up to three months while in that country so you can work while you’re studying.
Studying in an international university
An international university hosts more foreign students than native speakers. That makes your language studying more diverse and
Many of these international universities have English-taught programs so you won’t have a hard time adjusting. You can just incorporate that target language in your main degree.
But if you’re studying solely for languages, expect that these international universities have expensive prices. The bright side of global universities is still the availability of getting a scholarship.
How COVID-19 has affected learning languages abroad
Last 2014, it was reported that there are 2.28 million students enrolled to learn languages abroad.
Now, there are talks of doing a hybrid language program that emerged after seeing the pros and cons of online language learning.
However, according to the IECF monitor, 95% of teachers expect that students will come back in person to learn languages rather than sitting in front of the computer screen.
The US is anticipating to spend at least US$115 billion by 2025 for more language classes.
Which countries are the most popular places to study a language? The ideal destination for a complete beginner in any language studies is in Asia.
It is so rich in cultural diversity that you’ll have a different take on the aspects of life. Not only in Asia will you find a difference in personal or academic life.
Every country has its differences when it comes to the cost of living, communicative methods when speaking to others, as well as other issues other than language barriers.
