Finding a foreign language study abroad program is not that hard; it’s as simple as doing a quick Internet search and compiling lists of your options. The tricky part of finding the language study abroad program that’s right for your needs. We’ve been there and have come back to offer you a few tips to help you ensure that you enroll in the program that helps you maximize your time abroad. 

1. If you’re a foreign language major, than enrolling in a language study abroad is certainly a strategic way to help you realize your goal of becoming proficient or fluent in a foreign language. When selecting your program, make sure that it has the right foreign language density for you. Many foreign language study abroad programs are, surprisingly, taught in English, with only one or two courses taught in the language of study.  

2. Credits. If you’re a college student who desires to learn a foreign language but is not a foreign language major, then studying abroad is certainly a helpful means to that end, but it might require some strategic course-load stacking, as many colleges and universities are picky about which credits they will accept towards a degree. Make sure that you have enough credits saved for general education requirements so that you can still fill up your at-home schedule with courses towards your major.  

You might also be able to count your study abroad credits towards your major, even if you’re not majoring in a language. For example, if you’re a history major but want to study Italian, you might be able to count some of your credits abroad towards your history major if you take a history course or two. 

3. Keep in mind that if you enroll in a language program with American students, you’re more likely to spend most of your time speaking English than if you enroll in an independent course through an independent company or a local university. There are many fine study abroad opportunities through American universities and colleges, but the majority of them specialize in the country and culture and de-emphasize the language immersion among the students. Look into some independent study abroad language courses through programs such as IES or even through universities in your country of choice for more language intensive options. 

4. Different countries might speak the same language as their native tongue, but especially if you are going to be a translator, learning a particular dialect might be important. Assess your career goals and do some research into particular dialects. For example, French-Canadians and Parisian French speak vastly different dialects and have different language nuances. Likewise, Parisian French speakers and Souther French speakers have a strong difference in their accents. Most languages follow in the similar pattern, so if you’re a serious foreign language student, it’s important that you understand the accent differences before you commit to studying in a particular country or region. 

Now that you have a few tips to think about when researching your foreign language study abroad program, get out there and find some options that work for you. Remember: The more you put yourself in situations that force you to communicate in the foreign language, the quicker you will become with your skills. Good luck!

This entry was posted on Wednesday, March 7th, 2007 at 8:07 pm and is filed under Language Study Abroad Programs. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.