Go abroad and immerse yourself!
Why? Taking a language immersion course abroad is by far the fastest way to learn a language. And if you don't want to, or can't afford to take a structured course, then the next best thing is to dive in and go abroad anyway! Learn the way a baby learns to speak, by simply being surrounded and picking things up as you go. Indeed, children are gifted when it comes to learning languages because, as many have commented: their brains are like "sponges"! But actually, did you know that adults are able to learn languages much faster than babies because they already speak one! This enables us to methodically learn a new-chosen language and speak it fluently within about a year... that is, if we go abroad! So, if going abroad is an option for you, we're very excited for you because there are so many choices out there... the possibilities are endless! We'll make it simpler for you though. Overall, you have two major options: go it alone or pay an agency. If you want to "do-it-yourself" then you've come to the right place because the internet is where you'll find everything you need to make your language trip a success. First will come flights, then accomodation, then things to see and do while you're there. In addition, if you would like to spend an extended period of time in another country, you might wonder how you can support yourself while there... well, we suggest you teach what you know - English! English is in demand everywhere, and with a easily acquired qualification, the world will be your oyster. On the other hand, you may opt to have an agency take you under its wings and do everything for you. We hope to help you with that decision making process too!
Doing it Yourself...Insurance: Recommended by Lonely Planet, this Travel Insurance company provides policies for people from over 150 different countries and covers even dangerous activities like skiing and snowboarding, perfect for those adventurous travellers out there! They have many different policy packages, something for everyone and setting it up is very easy. This company also even provides free language podcasts for 15 different languages! For more information on this please see our Audio Lessons page. Flights: Kayak is a flight search website we've found that has proved to be very useful in obtaining quick results for the cheapest flights available, try it:
Accomodation: Just below is a handy little search engine that will put you in touch with an affordable place to stay among 7,000 hostels & budget hotels, 2,500 guesthouses, 1,000 apartments, or 100 campsites. Always though a word of caution: matter where you go and where you stay, please do travel safe!  How to get around: You guessed it, a hub of travel information and guidelines, is Lonely Planet. Great online resources and of course you may end up buying the actual guide... but unless you want to keep it after, as a souvenir, we suggest borrowing the copy you want from your local library, and saving your traveller's pennies for later... Things to see and do: Here's a gem of a site, called What's on When?... not so many travel tips and suggestions as Lonely Planet might provide, but rather, up-to-date listings of destination events and attractions. Watch their videos online, to get a feel for the country and culture, so as to lessen your culture shock upon arrival! For more, in depth, practical guidance on travelling to where you language of choice is spoken feel free to browse the following videos... Rick Steves has a very broad travel series, so if the country you want isn't in the box below keep looking!
Classes and courses when you get there: We would be insane to try and list all the possible courses for every possible country that our visitors might want to look into, however if you would like to find a course for a specific language please look up the language in our Index page (to the left) and see what courses abroad we may have already recommended under the Immersion section on that language page. Happy finding!
How to support yourself: Teach English abroad! Countless language students have made a success of staying in another country by teaching their native language, which is in such demand in so many schools and areas of the world! The basic qualification that may be required of you is a TESOL, TEFL, TEOFL etc certificate, which can easily be earned by attending a college course or intensive course. For example, The Canadian Institute of English (www.cie.ca) provides a very dynamic and intensive one-week TESOL course, held in locations all over the world. The average cost ranges from $500-$830 US depending on the location. The reason we recommend this course is because it equips each student with 30+ teaching methods that can be used immediately, either in a class room or with private students. No more dry theory leaving you without an idea of what to do with your students! For further degree qualifications you may also turn to the Canadian Institute of English as they provide distance BA and MA degree programs through its affiliations with accredited international Universities. Sign up for CIE's newsletter to get wind of teaching jobs abroad!
Check out CIE's countless student comments online! Letting an Agency Take Care of You..."Study Languages Immersion Courses" is an agency covering immersion courses in the country of origin for 10 languages: English, Spanish, French, Italian, German, Russian, Greek, Chinese, Portuguese, Arabic "Abroad Languages Immersion Courses" is an agency covering immersion courses in the country of origin for 10 languages also: English, Spanish, French, Italian, German, Russian, Chinese, Japanese, Portuguese, Arabic Help Others Live & Learn Languages AbroadHave you been on any immersion courses abroad as part of your language learning experience? If so we'd love to hear about them. What was great about the course you did? What wasn't so great? Would you recommend it? Please e-mail us your findings using the form below. By sharing our language learning experiences we can help each other to language learning success!
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