9 Pieces of Advice for Making the Most out of your english course abroad

Taking part in an english course abroad will be an experience of your lifetime. A linguistic immersion program is full of advantages; the first of all being learning a language.

It´s the most natural way of putting your knowledge to practice, but remember that a big part of the work is going to depend on you.

To make the most out of your stay, you must know how to balance your leisure time with your study time, because this trip may fly by without realising.

Don´t forget that it´s an investment for your future, therefore, keep reading and discover the best pieces of advice to assure that this English course abroad will be truly successful.

It´s very probable that you take part in this linguistic immersion program accompanied by friends, but we recommend that you disconnect as much as possible from Spanish and communicate in English.

1. Go to English Classes

Remember that it´s a course, and it include teaching hours that are worth going to so that you make the most out of them.

It´s normal that you are excited to go out, live the adventure, see new places, but it is important that you attend class.

The teachers are natives, and there doesn´t seem like a better opportunity to listen and get used to other accents.

At Nathalie Language Experiences, we opt for classes that are fun and with a practical focus, that will allow you to get used to the language and its culture at an incredible rhythm.

2. Speak all the time

Make the most out of your English Summer course by speaking, speaking and speaking. Any excuse is good to talk.

Without fear, or embarrassment… you are travelling to come out of your shell and to learn English. Go shopping, ask for the bill at a restaurant, and above all, try to interact and meet new people.

Normally you will be with an English-speaking host family. When you are with them, speak all the time.

It´s a unique opportunity to practise the language, you will improve your listening and speaking without realising.

If you go with Spanish-speaking friends, we recommend that you try to talk in English. Don´t lose sight of the objective of this linguistic experience.

3. Have an open mind

Travelling with prejudices and preconcerted ideas isn´t a good idea. If you are going to take part in an English course abroad, you are going to come into contact with other cultures, other cities, and in general, other ways of thinking and living.

Before travelling, bear in mind that it´s more than just a learning experience.

You will learn english and you will submerge yourself into the customs of another country. Observe, enjoy, and discover a new world, but without judgement.

4. Be relatable

This point is 100% related with having an open mind, and with speaking as much as possible.

You have to mix with people (especially English speakers). At first, shyness can be a barrier. But once you surpass these feelings, you will make friends, have fun and practice the language.

5. Watch TV, read, look at everything around you

Any stimuli can be a source for learning. Look at the local newspaper, watch TV programs, read all the posters and leaflets that you find… If you visit a museum, ask for an audio guide in English.

That´s to say, do everything possible to find out about the language. Be observant and enjoy this cultural and linguistic immersion experience.

6. Don´t be scared of making mistakes

It´s very common to feel scared or, better said, embarrassed when speaking another language aside from your mother tongue. If you speak English and you haven´t mastered it yet, it´s totally natural to make mistakes.

Get rid of this pressure, leave this fear aside. Everyone makes mistakes, but the important thing is to learn from them.

Participate in all the conversations that you can, risk it!! Don´t worry about not being able to express yourself perfectly. Perfection is achieved with practise.

7. Study a bit

It´s not a good idea to spend all of you time during your linguistic immersion stay studying. Be responsible and dedicate a bit of time everyday outside of class to revise and check what you have been learning.

Pay attention to the lessons, be proactive, take notes, participate, ask questions… Think about the fact that you are enjoying a unique opportunity to learn English with natives.

After class, dedicate a bit of time to do your homework (if you have any) and look at what you have learnt. It´s not about spending all your time studying, we only recommend that you do some to make the most out of your learning.

8. Have a good time, smile, enjoy

In an english course abroad, don´t forget to live it to the full. At Nathalie Language Experiences we never get tired of saying that learning English doesn´t mean taking away the fun.

Remember to do everything with happiness and enthusiasm, because that way, you will learn much more than you could have ever imagined.

9. Don´t forget what you have learnt

When you return from your linguistic immersion stay, don´t put your language aside. You should continue working on everything that you have learnt.

Make the most out of practising English whenever you can: conversation classes, watch English series, read books… and why not have another trip?

Opt for another summer course abroad or go one step further: have a school year in destinations such as England, Ireland or Scotland.

Apply these pieces of advice and live your best life, learning English abroad.