WEEK 11: YOU LIVE AND LEARN

The idea of going overseas to study can be daunting, with visions of  baffling languages or nights spent in isolation while you are gradually forgotten by your friends and family. However, the benefits of studying abroad, such as broadening your mind, improving  your career prospects and making friends from all over the  world.

In today’s increasingly global society, it’s important to possess the skills to communicate across cultures, and this means understanding more than just a different language. Studying abroad helps you become familiar with the customs and traditions of the country in which you are studying, in addition to the language. 

Consequently, you would improve your second language skills, being surrounded by native speakers affords you the chance to immerse yourself in the language, which can expedite your retention and fluency. Furthermore, if you travel to a country in which the primary language is one you’ve studied in school, you can add to your vocabulary colloquial words and phrases that may not appear in the textbooks.

And finally, living abroad on your own would make you more independent because studying abroad removes you from the normal support network that you are accustomed to back home. While on the one hand, being away from friends and family can seem daunting, it is also a chance for you to hone your own skills and gain some independence. Whether it’s washing your laundry or buying food, you will learn to take responsibility for your actions. 

Moreover, next year I am leaving the country because I will go to Poland with Erasmus project and I will get all these experiences.

This week I am trying to improve my spoken English without a speaking partner looking and studying my notes of phonetics. By this I mean the specific sound of vowels and consonants.