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7 TIPS PREPPING
FOR A LANGUAGE PROGRAM ABROAD by Dorioara Pinku
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Whether you know zero vocabulary or
you are an advanced speaker in a foreign language, a little preparation can
help you get the most out of your immersion language program abroad. Below are
some tips from study abroad veterans. Whether you plan to study Spanish, learn
Italian, or even become fluent in Japanese, this is advice worth paying
attention to.
1. Set Realistic Goals
Learning another
language isn’t easy for most of us. It takes time, practice and many
mistakes. Go into a program with the goal of increasing your communication
skills. Don’t assume that you are going to perfect the language in so many
weeks or months, it’s too much pressure.
2. Bolster Your
Vocabulary
If you are an absolute beginner, get a phrase book,
preferably with a tape to accompany it (check out the Spanish phrase ebook
given away at the end of this article). Learn some basics like:
“Please”, “Thank you”, “Where is . . “, “How
much. . . “, etc. Knowing these phrases and some hand gestures will get
you by in a crunch. For intermediate or advanced speakers, we recommend
learning as much vocabulary as possible before you go, including common idioms.
Your language instruction will focus mainly on grammar, conversation and
listening. The more vocabulary you have going into the program, the more ways
you will get to apply the language.
All participants should bring a
comprehensive dictionary, not only a pocket dictionary. Consider a guidebook
that has a section listing local colloquialisms. This ensures that you will not
travel to Ecuador or try to study in Guatemala with knowledge only of the
Spanish commonly used in Madrid or Barcelona. Being prepared for local sayings
can help you get the most out of your language classes or study abroad program.
3. Be Able To Conjugate Important Verbs
Learn to
conjugate, COLD, those really important verbs like: to wish/want, to be
able/can, to be and to go. These kinds of verbs conjugated in the present or
past combined with infinitives instantly increase your ability to communicate.
If you are an absolute beginner focus on the “I” and “you”
forms of the really important verbs.
4. Think The Language
Don’t try and translate everything word for word. It doesn’t
work. You will drive yourself crazy looking for a word that may not exist in
the target language. Recognize the fact that grammar rules will be different.
Learn the differences along with the similarities and your understanding of HOW
the language works will increase ten fold. Even if you are fluent in Spanish
and have spent years studying in Barcelona, if you are going to attend an
international language program in Paris you will need to familiarize yourself
with a new “thought process” for the French language.
5.
When In Doubt, “Literature-ize”
This means try to use
“larger” words. For example, in Spanish, “need”
doesn’t translate but “necessity” turns into
“necesidad”, “requisite” becomes “requisito” and
“exigency” blossoms into “exigencia”. Since these words
sound very similar, you will be understood. There are examples like these in
all languages.
6. Romance Languages Are Similar
If you
know another romance language, you have a leg up on learning Spanish or
studying Portuguese. You already know the concept of masculine and feminine
words, accent marks, etc. Many words ending in Y like liberty will end with:
“ad” in Spanish, “e” in French, “ade” in
Portuguese or “à” in Italian. Similarly, words ending in
“ion” in English often sound alike, and mean the same thing in
Spanish.
Learning Chinese or studying Japanese, Arabic, Hebrew, or
Thai can present unique challenges, as the words are so different from what
most of us are used to hearing. More time may be necessary to learn these
languages, and more pre-trip preparation can be immensely helpful. Regardless
of the difficulty level of the language, knowing two or more languages makes
any international study program easier, and the benefits of learning an
uncommon tongue can far outweigh the drawbacks.
7. Stay Open
Minded
The best tool for learning a language at any level is a
good attitude. Understanding the culture helps with language acquisition.
Don’t be afraid to make mistakes, they are great to learn from and can be
funny too! A sense of humor really helps.
About the
Author:
Enjoy your free Spanish Phrase ebook:
http://www.amerispan.com/spdownload - This 30-pager is
great if you quickly want to learn Spanish phrases for travel or life in
general. Dorioara Pinku is the co-owner of AmeriSpan, a leader in study abroad
and international education since 1993. 85 cities, 35 countries.
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