Study a Language Abroad -
And Actually Learn It!

There are plenty of reasons to study a language abroad and women all over the world are doing it.

International language study can:

• Open up your world to new cultures and civilizations - there's nothing like communicating when you're on the road.


• Make the world a better place, by promoting understanding across borders.


• Learning the language is one of the best ways of getting to know a country.


• For professional reasons, because knowledge of languages is increasingly in demand as businesses become more international - and, employers pay extra for the skill.


• Broaden your enjoyment by giving you access to foreign films and books.


• You'll have direct contact with a country's people, without needing anyone to interpret for you - and isn't getting to know a country's inhabitants much of what travel is about?


• Understand what people around you are saying. This could save you money, and enhance your safety.


• Find a conversation buddy and talk together on Skype. I've got a great Brazilian conversation buddy in Rio and we Skype every Monday night. My spoken Portuguese has improved hugely and I've made a new friend, whom I plan to visit in Rio. Find your own buddy at My Language Exchange.


• Make life easier for you on the road - phrasebooks are great, as is waving your arms, but nothing beats communicating one on one.

I'm one of those fortunate enough to have been brought up in a multilingual household. I spoke French with my mother, Turkish with my father (I forgot that language as I grew up, unfortunately, and now want to learn it again), Spanish at school (I was raised in Spain), and English later on.

Foreign (Sign) Languages
Photo: Kate Andrews via Flickr

At university I studied Italian and now speak it fluently, and Portuguese, in which I'm becoming fluent. I learned some basic Thai while living in Bangkok, taught myself to read Russian (just so I could navigate Moscow's subways), and learned to read place names in Arabic - when I lived in Algeria the government changed the road signs from French to Arabic overnight and finding my way around became a nightmare.

My own parents spoke many languages, so I did have an unfair advantage.

But knowing languages has changed my life.

Even in countries where I don't speak the language, I don't feel like a foreigner, because language itself is my friend rather than my enemy.

For me, that's at the heart of learning a language - the taming process which allows you to flow with it downstream rather than fight against it. Speak up. Use the few words you know. Try not to be shy. It's all about letting go.

Study a language abroad in school

Many women prefer the comfort and predictability of a language school with formal classes for students.

These are available in virtually every country and range widely in quality and cost. Some are for young people, some for adults, and many are mixed. Some schools are residential, while others offer simply day classes - you stay in a hotel or with a family but make your own arrangements.

Most schools will help you find a host family if you need one - and I would far prefer this option than living on-site in a language school or living with other students.

Learning a foreign language isn't that easy for most people and the temptation to drift back into English is strong once you're away from the teacher's watchful eye.

My personal opinion is that immersion works best.

Anything less offers an opportunity for escape and slows the learning of a language. A friend of mine has taken a course in a school in southern France where students spend all day together, including meals, with the teacher. Each time they're caught speaking English, they get fined 1 Euro! Since this is a month-long course, this can turn out to be expensive...

There are so many courses and so many choices if you want to study a language abroad - and the only way you'll sort it is by being clear about your own expectations.

Why not learn French in France...
Photo: SpookyLittleGirl via Flickr

Where should I go?

Choosing a country to study a language abroad is every bit as challenging as choosing a destination for travel, but with the added factor of language.

Think about it... the choices are incredible!

If you want to study French, you could of course go to France - but also to Quebec, Belgium or Switzerland. You could consider a course in West Africa, where French is spoken widely (France was the colonial power in much of the region). Spanish could take you to Spain, but also to most countries in Latin America, from Mexico right down to the tip of Argentina or Chile. Want to learn Portuguese? Portugal, of course, but also Brazil, Angola, Mozambique, Cape Verde...

...or Spanish in Mexico?
Photo: Jay Galvin via Flickr

Arabic will take you throughout North Africa and the Middle East (there are plenty of countries in this region where a woman alone can feel quite comfortable), and Chinese can be learned in China, Hong Kong and Taiwan.

There's also plenty of variety within countries. Imagine the size of Russia - and the many places you could learn to speak it, from Moscow to Siberia.

So think about where you want to go and what you want to do... whether you want to immerse yourself in culture, history, adventure, nature, politics... and make your decision accordingly.

Study a language abroad while volunteering

That's right - volunteering offers excellent opportunities for language learning.

As a volunteer abroad you'll be in an ideal position to learn a language, and learn it well. Most volunteers live and work in the communities they are helping, and many volunteers may find they are the only foreigner around.

I remember a Peace Corps volunteer in southern Ethiopia once telling me she had to drive an hour just to get to the nearest English-speaking person - and as she didn't have a car, there was absolutely no one she could talk to. It took her only a few months to start speaking what is a tricky language to learn.

As a volunteer you may be living on a farm, in a forest ranger station, in a rural village, or in an inner city neighborhood - where foreigners are extremely rare. You can take advantage of this and immerse yourself in the language totally. There really is no better way to learn!

Taking the first step

If your reason for travel is to learn or brush up on a language, you might want to get started before you leave.

You could do this in several ways:

• Take an audio course before you go. I highly recommend the Teach Yourself series. I've acquired a (very basic, admittedly) knowledge of Thai and Turkish with this series.


• Join a beginners' course at a local school or community college - and get a head start on your language.


• Start practising on the web - there are more free language courses online than you can count!


• Buy a phrasebook and start reading it.


• Find groups of people who speak the language in your community. Even if you can't converse with them, you can begin to become familiar with its sounds.


• Watch cable or satellite television, especially movies or news programs where you might catch a word or two. Again, this is about becoming familiar with the sound. Before I went to Brazil for six months, I watched plenty of Portuguese television (especially Brazilian soap operas!) so the language wouldn't sound so foreign.

Hasta la vista, and bonne chance!