You go abroad to learn a language but you are worry that you might not improve your language skills as much as you wish? Follow these simple tips below and you will see a dramatic language improvement!
1- Avoid speakers of your mother tongue. If you can’t, establish together a “must-speak-local-language-rule”. If one of you doesn’t respect this rule, he’ll have some pledge!
2- If you are a native English-speaker, it must be hard for you to speak the local language. Many people will want to test their English skills with you. Well, do the same, and answer to them in the local language!
3- Get acquainted with local people: there are many ways to do so, from activities, special classes like cooking, dance,…or social networks!
4- Do everything local: eat, read, shop, watch TV…! You will learn much vocabulary in doing so and will notice a dramatic improvement of your language skills!
5- Find a local “exchange talking buddy”: he/she will help you improve your speaking skills in his/her native language, and you will do the same with yours! There are many organizations offering such possibility in big cities!
6- Date a local! Ok, it may not be that easy, but hey, it’s the best way to get language improvement!
7- Try not to focus on your mistakes while speaking. Just speak out! If someone doesn’t understand you, he’ll help you! Don’t forget that you are here to learn, and that people know that and won’t judge you!
8- Try not to feel overwhelmed by cultural shock, but rather accept others’ differences. Otherwise, you may be subject to homesickness and isolate yourself from the vibrant learning environment around you!
9- Don’t be afraid to ask people to correct you! If you don’t know the word for something, just point it and ask (with a nice “please” and a big smile) how you should say it!
10- Finally, once back home, keep on working on the language or you may forget a lot! A good idea would be to get a subscription to a magazine you enjoyed reading while abroad, or buying online books of an author you have discovered there!
Do you have tips to improve languages abroad? Don’t hesitate to share it with us!
