Studying abroad is one of the most exciting and fulfilling experiences you can have in your academic career. While you may have some familiarity with the language of the country that you will be going to, it always helps to brush up on your language skills. Don’t panic if you haven’t been as diligent as you could have been at perfecting your second language. You still have time to brush up before studying abroad by using the following strategies:
 
1. Focus on conversational phrases
It’s important to know enough of the language to navigate daily activities, such as traveling to class or ordering food from a restaurant. Note any emergency words and phrases that may be useful, such as contacting the police or explaining dietary restrictions.
 
2. Capitalize on all study opportunities
Carry a phrase book or create flashcards. These can help when you don’t quite know the right way to say something. You can also take them with you on the go. Any time you find a few free moments, you can pull out your notes and brush up on any phrases or areas where you feel your language needs improvement. 
 
3. Take advantage of technology
Start listening to music or radio programs, and start watching TV shows and films in the language of the country you will visit. Watching dubbed versions of TV shows and movies that you are already familiar with will get you in the habit of understanding the language within certain contexts, instead of just using hypothetical situations. 
 
4. Join a foreign language practice group
Foreign language groups can help you meet native speakers, as well as others in the same boat as you. You can practice conversations with them, and they can give you pointers on how to improve your pronunciation and phrasing.
 
You can also attend a short foreign language course in-person or online. To prepare yourself for a course in your second language, try reading and writing in the language consistently. Switch your social media accounts and cell phone to another language, and practice translating any phrases that you come across. The more frequently you are able to come into contact with words from your second language, the better chance you have of retaining the information.
 
When preparing to study abroad, it is always a good idea to make sure that you are able to communicate as clearly as possible in the local language, even if you haven’t necessarily mastered it. With resources like apps, conversation groups, online courses, and other learning aids, brushing up on your foreign language skills before you go is easier than ever.



Niki Bridges is a contributing writer for UniversityTutor.com, the world’s largest global marketplace for finding independent tutors.

Many people find journaling to be a soothing activity, or a great way to document their lives and to record memories. But what if instead of writing a journal in your native tongue, you use it as a chance to work on your foreign language skills? Reading and writing in a foreign language as frequently as possible is a great way to improve your skills. Journaling in a foreign language can not only be fun and challenging, but also an opportunity to continue to develop your knowledge base in your second language.


1. You can improve your understanding of grammar

When first learning a new language, your lessons may be heavily focused on mastering simple sentence structure (including basic grammatical rules) and vocabulary. Journaling, whether you are writing about your daily activities or delving into your emotions, often requires more complex sentencing. Keeping a journal in a foreign language can thus provide you with a chance to stretch your grammatical abilities.


2. You can learn new vocabulary words

The vocabulary words that you learn during your lessons may be helpful for basic conversations, but you will likely find when journaling that you need more words than those you have learned in class. Each time you look up a new word to include in a journal entry, you are expanding your vocabulary beyond your previous capabilities. Using the word in context will also help you better understand and remember it.


3. You can relate your second language to your day-to-day life

You may find that journaling in a foreign language makes the language seem much more relevant to your life. Journaling is a great way to truly understand a language, as well as how it relates to your life.


4. You can practice more frequently

For many people, journaling is a daily activity—it’s a way to start the day or to debrief from the day’s activities. If you make journaling in a foreign language a daily activity, even if you just write a few sentences each day, it will give you a chance to practice your language skills. Frequent practice is the best way to improve your abilities.


5. You can boost your second-language confidence
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This daily practice, combined with your expanded vocabulary and strengthened grammar skills, is a great way to boost your confidence in using a foreign language. It’s also a great way to document your improvement with the language. You’ll be able to look back at old entries to see where you started and how far you’ve come with your language skills.

Journaling in a foreign language is one of the best ways to improve your language skills. Even if you don’t make it a daily practice, journal as much as you can to improve your grammar and vocabulary, and to boost your confidence.


Catherine Martin is a contributing writer for UniversityTutor.com, the world’s largest global marketplace for finding independent tutors.

For students new to the college environment, classes can move quickly and seem overwhelming or stressful. They can also present a number of other challenges. Although these can often be resolved by talking with your professor, that isn’t always the easiest thing for students to do. Continue reading to learn how you can best talk to a professor about a problem:
 

Step One: Identify the problem

The first step in solving your problem is knowing what, exactly, the problem is, as well as who you should ask for assistance. Instructors are typically willing to help you with anything you might need, but you may be able to access assistance in a more informal way. For example, if you’re having trouble understanding the course material or have questions that weren’t addressed during class, consider checking in with other students first. Unlike professors, whose free time may be limited, your classmates may be able to offer assistance on a more flexible schedule. If your problem can’t be solved with the help of your classmates, or you’d simply prefer to speak with a member of faculty, that’s entirely understandable.
 

Step Two: Find the right time and place

As previously noted, most faculty members have limited time outside of classes to engage with students, which is why knowing exactly what you need will make the conversation much easier. However, you’ll also want to ensure you seek your instructor out at the right time and in the right place. For instance, pulling your professor aside during class isn’t appropriate, as it cuts into instructional time.
 
If your problem is fairly straightforward, like an issue with someone in your group or the need for a deadline extension, consider sending an email. Email gives you the opportunity to clearly articulate your need, and it gives your teacher the flexibility to address the issue at his or her earliest convenience.
 

Step Three: Learn to appropriately handle more complicated problems

If you feel as though your problem is too complicated for an email or requires a more immediate response, most faculty members have office hours for this purpose. Office hours are structured times during the week when instructors meet with students to discuss problems, ideas, or questions away from the classroom.
 
As with the other approaches, be sure that you’re able to identify and articulate your problem before going into your appointment. It might also help to have a possible solution in mind. If you’re having problems with a group project, for example, you might simply ask to be moved to another group. If, on the other hand, you’re struggling with the content or certain parts of the coursework, be as specific as possible about what you find challenging.
 

Step Four: Be confident
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Approaching your professor for assistance can be intimidating, in large part because he or she is an authority figure with a limited amount of time to help students outside of the classroom. Nevertheless, it’s important to keep in mind that these individuals decided to become teachers for a reason, and a big part of their job is helping students achieve success in all areas of their academic lives. Although it may not always be entirely comfortable, it’s fair to assume that they will be more than happy to help you. 
 
David White is a contributing writer for UniversityTutor.com, the world's largest global marketplace for finding independent tutors. 

Language is essential in communication. It is, therefore, important to understand the language that we wish to communicate in. Most universities all over the world offer study abroad students different programs. While this idea may sound exciting for most students, for others, it is met with some hesitation. This is because language barrier is a major problem. It gets worse if the lecturers are using the foreign language to teach. Therefore, it is pertinent to learn the new language.

Learning a new language might be challenging, but you need not worry as we are going to discuss 11 ways to dive into a language environment while studying abroad.

1. Download a Language Learning App
The advancement of technology has brought about easy ways of knowing and doing things. With language learning apps, it is easy to access language lessons at any given time. These apps are equipped with audio programs that help the user with pronunciation.

2. Carry a Pocket Dictionary
While this may seem like an old-fashioned and outdated way of learning a foreign language, it is helpful. Having a dictionary endows you with the power to look up new vocabulary and get to know its meaning. It also gives you the ability to learn new words and how to use them in a sentence.
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3. Enroll in a University or College Program
Most universities offer foreign language courses at affordable prices for students. Learning a foreign language in college is interactive since you get to practice the language with other classmates. This interactive form of learning makes it easy to grasp the new language. The university provides up to date reference books that can be used during studying. These are especially helpful to students learning foreign languages in this time and age where the numbers of students enrolling for foreign language classes are over-the roof. A good example is in the rise from 90.8% to 99% of the population of students learning foreign languages in France.

4. Private Lessons
Private lessons are advantageous since they bring about one on one interaction with the teacher. Therefore, the student gets all the attention that he/she requires. The teacher is able to monitor the progress of the student and to offer any assistance needed.
The only disadvantage with this is that private lessons can be more expensive than language courses offered by the university.

5. Buddy Programs
Buddy programs are informal methods of learning a new language. This involves an exchange lesson with foreign friends which can happen online or during one on one meet-ups with language buddies. From this interactive form of learning, you are able to learn slang, accents and pronunciation of words. Buddy programs provide a fun and cheaper way of learning a foreign language since they are absolutely free.

6. Practice Speaking
Speak the language as much as you can whether you’re perfect or not. Talk to strangers, ask for directions, tell a joke or order food. You can also talk to yourself when you have no one else to speak to. This will improve your language skills fast. It will also help you build confidence and make you comfortable while communicating in the language.
Always incorporate new phrases and vocabulary in your speech and use the new words in different contexts. This will help you keep the phrases fresh in your mind.

7. Have Fun With It
Find a way to make your learning fun. Be creative. Write a poem, listen to music in the new language, watch a movie, go to football matches or play games. These fun activities will help you learn a few phrases and improve your mastery of the language.

8. Read! Write! Speak!
Language learning is a holistic process. Reading, writing and speaking are just a few factors that guarantee successful language learning. Written language is refined therefore immersing yourself in reading will refine your language skills, improve your understanding of the language, and expand your vocabulary. While reading, try to learn words and expressions as they appear in context and use them while communicating.
Writing and speaking allow you to be creative and you get to identify any mistakes you make which you can then correct.

9. Avoid Using English
English is a universal language and is spoken in most countries all over the world. A student might be tempted to use English and neglect learning the new language. You should strive to put the foreign language that you’re learning into as much use as you can. Resist the temptation of reverting back to English as it will curb your progress of internalizing the foreign language effectively.
In case you find yourself developing the habit of insisting to use English in your communication, then you could as well cut down your hopes of learning the foreign language. This is because, with time, your need for learning the foreign language could easily get blunted as you might no longer see the essence of the new language.

10. Have a Go-To Place That Helps
Most people have that favourite spot that beckons to them whenever they are in the mood for simply relaxing or even getting a snack to eat. These spots assist people in getting familiar with the culture and people of that particular country that they are in. As a student taking some studies abroad, having such spots can go a long way in helping you to get better mastery of foreign languages.
If you take some time to visit various restaurants or even gyms, you are bound to meet diverse groups of people. You should take such opportunities to speak and listen to them because, with time, this will form the basis of your understanding of the language. It is also important to remember that as you practice, you should always work on your accents and tones to ensure that they are in tandem with the language’s native speakers.


11. Act Like a Child
In reference to this context, acting like a child does not interpret to throwing tantrums and creating a mess with every opportunity that you get. Instead, you should ensure that you learn in the same manner that kids do.
Children are fast learners and this is owed to mainly the absence of self-consciousness as well as the passion of playing about with languages regardless of the factors barring them from achieving fluency in these languages. It is also important to flesh out their knack of having no problem with making mistakes during their learning process. In light of this, be like a child and have no problem embracing mistakes as it is among the fastest ways to learn.

ConclusionWhile abroad, it is common for students to find themselves in environments that have different native languages than the ones that they are used to. This could prove to be quite the Achilles heel for such students in their efforts to adapt to these foreign countries due to the problems posed in communication. In the long run, they will have to find a way to learn the language to an extent of even getting to fluently flesh out compare and contrast essay topics for college students using that foreign language. In this article, we’ve covered some of the ways that you can use to dive into a different language environment while abroad.
Has this article been of informative value to you? What is your experience mastering a foreign language while abroad?


Lori Wade is the content writer and a career specialist for college students. She is a content marketer, sharing experience in writing, education, and self-development in her publications, for example, https://eliteessaywriters.com/blog/compare-and-contrast-essay-topics/. Connect with her on Facebook and follow her on Twitter.

Studying broad is an unforgettable experience. From great foods and impressive traditions, to stunning stories and interesting people, you will always recollect this adventure. You might be wondering in what way can studying abroad truly affect you, and how can it change your perspective of the world.
 
For starters, studying abroad means immersing into a new culture. It means accumulating memorable, life-changing experience. You will meet new people whose opinions differ, you will debate interesting topics while having a beer with your international friends. You might even learn the country’s language, and develop amazing communication skills. Your perspective of the world is going to change because your universe is going to expand.
 

Best Resources to Consult Before Studying Abroad

Of course, studying abroad is not all sunshine and rainbows. You might need some advice on what to avoid or to respect, depending on the country you are visiting. Some cultures are more orientated toward religion, while others have dynamic racial conflicts. You must be prepared before you go in order to stay out of trouble. Take a look at the best resources you could use in order to know what to expect.
 

1) Abroad 101

As the name clearly defines it, Abroad 101 is a great resource to use when you study abroad for the first time. The website has great reviews written by people who’ve gone through similar experiences. You can also find great comments on study abroad programs, and tips on what places to choose. If you wish to study in a specific country, you can narrow down reviews until you get to your desired choice.
 

2) The Abroad Guide

This website is dedicated for people who have zero experience traveling. For example, they taught me how to pack lightly when going on an adventure – they gave me basic tips that I was not aware of before. The Abroad Guide can also help you find scholarships and grants. They have great money saving advice! It is a great resource to use when you know nothing about traveling and studying abroad.
 

3) Go Overseas

Besides studying abroad, Go Overseas offers teaching abroad programs, and language school opportunities. In addition to that, they also have great tips on high-school abroad, and amazing internship offers. Check this website out if you want to want to accomplish something extraordinary this year!
 

4) College Tourist

College Tourist is a student travel bloggers’ website. It introduces different topics such as cultural shock and how do deal with it, how to spend Thanksgiving in the United States, or how to make friends easily. This advice is truly going to benefit you if you prepare to study abroad. Although it might seem an easy peasy lemon squeezy experience, traveling to another country and experimenting a new culture can be challenging, and sometimes even tiring.
 
Lauren Phelan, manager at Essaygeeks says, “The major factor that affects us when traveling abroad is the cultural shock. Wherever you travel, people act differently, and there is no point in changing your values in order to fit in. Make sure you respect their traditions and accept their habits, but never change who you are in order to feel included. Believe me, cultural shock can change people and make them forget their values. But is that really what you want? Analyze yourself constantly and do not let yourself influenced!”
 
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5) Girl in Florence

This blogish website is mostly popular among people who travel to Florence, Italy, but it can be an amazing tool for anybody. There are multiple interviews you can read on Girl in Florence – the interviewees will discuss interesting topics and will give amazing tips on how to study abroad. The woman who owns the website is American, so she is really easy to follow and simple to understand. She gives out great personal suggestions and advice on how to travel efficiently.
 

Wrapping Up

The above list is going to help you with your travels. Yes, getting out of your comfort zone can be quite scary, and yes, there are a lot of risks that come with this decision, but hey! If you are brave enough to do this, you are brave enough to conquer the world. Two basic rules, wherever you travel: know the politics and dominant religion of the country. With these two at hand and all the above knowledge, you will be just fine traveling abroad. Good luck, my friend!
 

Chris Richardson is a journalist, editor, and a blogger. He loves to write, learn new things, and meet new outgoing people. Chris is also fond of traveling, sports, and playing the guitar. Follow him on Facebook and Google+.

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Studying in the United States is an exciting experience filled with many opportunities that you may not find or may have difficulty finding elsewhere. As your time in the country winds down, you may be worried that you haven’t gotten the most out of your study abroad experience. To ease your mind, check out the following three things that you should do before your study abroad experience ends:
 

1. Find a mentor

It’s often said that, “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know.” Knowing the right people can be essential to advancing your career, which is why it’s important to make connections while studying abroad in the U.S. Set a goal to find a mentor—someone whose career you would like to emulate or who has connections in the area you are studying. Your professors are a great place to start. You might also find a mentor in a guest lecturer who has come to speak to your class. Whoever it is, reach out to him or her to meet outside of the normal classroom setting, if possible. Set up a time to get coffee or lunch, and tell your mentor about your career goals. He or she will likely be able to offer helpful advice as you pursue that path. It’s also key to keep in touch with your mentor, even after you leave the United States.
 

2. Check out other academic areas

You may have already chosen your area of study, or you might have a career path in mind, but it doesn’t hurt to see what else is out there too. If the university where you are studying is particularly well known for a specific discipline, attend a lecture about that topic. Many universities have important guest lecturers or professors who are the top experts in their respective fields. Even if you aren’t pursuing that field as a career, it can be a unique opportunity to sit in and listen to an expert speak about the material he or she knows best.
 
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3. Look for opportunities outside class
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It’s easy to stick to the comfortable schedule of going to class and then back to your apartment or dorm, but you could be missing out on a world of other opportunities that await you. The U.S. is a leader in many areas, and innovation and research often happen at the university level. You may be exposed to some of that research through class, but you also may not be. If you aren’t, or if you just want to learn more, look for opportunities outside of class to get involved with such experiences. Don’t limit yourself to what’s available on campus—ask your professors if there are opportunities off campus that you can also pursue.
 
The most important advice to keep in mind is to look for opportunities everywhere you can. U.S. universities are busy, exciting places with much to explore. It can seem overwhelming, but if you do your research, you’ll find many beneficial and interesting experiences.
 
Catherine Martin is a contributing writer for UniversityTutor.com, the world’s largest global marketplace for finding independent tutors.