International Study Abroad - Five Language Learning Resources

Studying abroad is a big decision to make. If you haven’t traveled abroad or traveled by yourself you may be homesick. You will need to prepare for these feelings of being homesick, it’s very natural. Despite the outcome of how prepared you are and how excited that you feel about living and studying in a foreign country, you will inevitably miss your home, friends, and family members. The feelings of sadness and loneliness are not uncommon for university students who decide to study abroad and travel abroad for the first time. Listed below are six simple steps to help curb and possibly cure your feelings of homesickness.

Now is the time to begin learning a foreign language and study abroad resources can help. Listed below are five inexpensive language learning resources that will help you learn a new language. Speaking the local language can go a long way to when you are studying abroad in foreign countries.

1. Watch Foreign Films – Watching a foreign film is as easy as visiting your local video rental store or DVD subscription services. Many of the foreign films include English subtitles to help you follow along with the story. Your local study abroad office may also have language tapes or videos available.

2. Watch or Read Foreign News on the Internet – The Internet can give you access to thousands of International news sources from all over the world. If you don’t have an Internet connection, you can always head to the library. Many news sites will offer video of news shows which will give you an idea of the faster pace of language. Most news shows speak faster than the normal conversation speed and usually use more formal language.

3. Find a Magazine or a Book in your University Library – University libraries, more than your local library, are apt to offer a wide range of foreign language books and magazines in their cannons. Depending on the language that you are learning, you will even find other foreign language books that are about the politics, art, sociology, and history in the respective language. Even though many foreign language periodicals and stories are available on the Internet, experiencing the book or magazine in the language that you are learning is easier for most while holding an actual book in your own hands.

4. Utilize a Search Engine in a Foreign Language – Choose your favorite hobby, pastime, or an area of interest. Then find Web Sites in that language and start searching. Many of the Search Engines that are available in English do offer their engines in other languages as well.

5. Find Native Speakers in Your University – Finding native speakers of the host country that you are preparing to visit for your study abroad program may be a lot easier than you think. Visit your foreign language department in your university and look to see if there are any students or faculty members that speak the foreign language that you are trying to learn. Many of these students are study abroad students themselves and would appreciate the opportunity to meet someone that is interested in their language and culture. Start by planning activities together and submerse yourself as much as possible. In the end you will have a better understanding of the foreign language and prepare yourself for a more rewarding study abroad experience.