Learning a language abroad
Learning a language abroad
So, you’re considering coming to England to learn English, but you’re worried about some things. Maybe you’re worried about missing your friends and family. Or, perhaps you’re scared about the difficulty of meeting new people. And maybe, you’re even wondering if living abroad will help your English more than studying at home. Let me tell you why you shouldn’t be worrying about these things, as well as all of the advantages of studying a language abroad.
English Immersion
Firstly, you’re wondering if learning English in England will improve your level more than living in your own country. You study hard in the classroom every day and you do your homework. And, you’re getting good grades in your exams. Well, if you’re already doing well, coming to England will only improve your English. And it will improve it so much quicker. I bet that, in your country, you leave the English classroom and don’t see or hear any English until you go back, right? In London, you are surrounded by the language. You hear it on the street, on public transport; you see it in the free newspapers, on billboards, everywhere!
Even if you are not actively learning, you are always passively consuming the language. This is something you cannot do in a country where English is not the first language. Also, you may be thinking that you went on holiday to England for one week once, and your language skills didn’t improve. That’s because you were here on holiday, and only for a week! If you come with an attitude to learn, and you stay for at least two weeks, your English will improve so much. You will ask yourself why you didn’t try coming to London before!
Meet new people
Secondly, you might think that being away from your home, your family, your friends and your partner will be very difficult. You’ll miss them all. But, you’ll especially miss your pet, because your pet is very cute. You might be worried about culture shock. This is when a new place is so completely different from your own that you feel sad and worried all the time. It’s true that you can miss things from your own country, and London can be quite a scary place. However, London is such a big place, you are guaranteed to meet new people. Especially when you are studying, you’ll make new friends. Remember, everyone in your class will be in the same situation as you. They’ve come to London, they’re missing people, and they want to meet new people.
The best thing is: they probably won’t speak your language. So, you can socialise with new people, make new friends, and you can do all of this whilst speaking English! You wouldn’t be able to do that in your own country! And if you don’t like the people in your class, join a club away from school! Sports clubs, book clubs, language clubs – anything you can think of, we have here. If you’re still missing people after all of that, London is so multi-cultural that there will be people here from your country. You’ll find them selling food and drink which you know. They will speak in your language and generally being very friendly. So there’s literally nothing to worry about!
Your future
Finally, think about your future prospects. If you can say to an employer that you have lived abroad, and that you learned your English in London, they will be very impressed. They will also love the fact that you took a very brave decision to move away from your home in an attempt to better yourself. Furthermore, we all know that travel broadens the mind. So, you will have experienced a new culture, which can be absolutely vital to future employers. It will make you stand out from any of the other applicants, and could help you secure your dream job.
Studying abroad is so important when you are learning a new language. You need to immerse yourself in the culture and language of a new country to learn quicker, and to learn it better. You might be worried about London, its size, and if you’re going to make new friends. But actually, London’s size means that you can meet loads of new people, learn about new cultures, and make new friends. And finally, new employers will love you for your language skills and your braveness.
So, the main question is: why aren’t you here yet?