If you are in any way interested in learning a language abroad you need to read this article before you pay for a class. This method is not for everyone, but if you are the type of person that dreads sitting in a classroom for hours, or you learn better through practice than book study you will want to pay very close attention. The biggest benefit of attending a language school abroad for the casual language learner is the fact that you are immersed in the language and the culture. If you think about it you can do this all by yourself as long as you have the motivation and the will to actually study and practice instead of reverting to your native language. As we all know, nothing in life is completely free, (you still have to get there), but with this method and the things I'm about to introduce you to will help to greatly cut your costs and up your experience.
Getting There
Though you won't be paying for a language school you still need to get to your destination and flights can be quite expensive these days. You need to be aggressive, flexible, and patient in your airfare search in order to get the best price for you. I have found Wednesday to be the best day of the week to fly though 9 times out of 10 you will find your cheapest fares any day Tuesday through Thursday. Another little trick is to search the same flights at different times of the day. The same flight that cost eight hundred dollars at two in the afternoon may be found for half the price at two in the morning. Try interchanging nearby cities and with no set date to start a language course you can be quite flexible in your dates as well. Here's an example for you: I wanted a flight to Europe, (preferably Italy), but I did not want to spend very much money at all (I'm a real bargain hunter). Flight search number one turned up fares from eight hundred up into the thousands of dollars. Flight search number two turned up results in the five to six hundred range. Flight search number three turned up airfares higher than the first two results. With aggressive searching and interchanging my cities and dates I eventually found a flight for $397 round trip from Newark, NJ to Geneva, Switzerland. As you can imagine I was extremely happy with that and began to plan the rest of my five weeks in Europe.
Where to Stay
I will say that I was in a bit of a unique situation when it comes to accommodation, but I'm sure you can tailor some of this to your own needs. I managed to save quite a bit by combining staying with friends, couchsurfing, hostels, and one random stay of eight days with a newly found friend (more about that another time). I must emphasize that staying with friends or strangers should never be looked upon as a free ride and you should be willing to share your culture and indulge in theirs. When using services such as Couchsurfing, or renting a room from a local, you need to do as much research as possible before you walk through a strangers' door. Check out any references they may have, start a conversation with them well before you go, and talk to other travelers that have stayed with them. For the purpose of practicing your chosen language you should also try to find families or hosts that are willing to help you out with a language exchange. Most cities on Couchsurfing have a language exchange group or night scheduled into their activities. If you have plenty of time to be away you may want to look at being an Au Pair or mothers' helper. A lot of families want someone to help their child with English language skills and in return you get accommodation, a small salary, and a chance to be immersed in the day-to-day family life of your chosen country. On some occasions you may receive help with your travel expenses or have them taken care of completely. Taking on an Au pair job is a great way to learn and give back as well.
What Now?
Congratulations! You found a great price on a flight, arranged your accommodation to suit your budget and now you're sitting back with your feet up wondering what to do next. What you do next is completely up to you and your own personal style. If you haven't booked accommodation with the thought of language exchange in mind you can approach it from many different angles. You can set up language exchange dates with local students, or arrange a meeting with a partner from an online language exchange site like mylanguageexchange.com or conversationexchange.com. Practice every chance you get... at the supermarket, the local bar or cafe, to strangers on the street, or the receptionist at your hostel.
Whichever way you choose to study be sure to make the most of your time and above all have fun. You will come out of this experience with more than just a deeper understanding of the language you are studying. A lifetime of memories will follow you everywhere you go from here.
Visit Love 4 Language for more language study abroad information.
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