10 reasons to learn a language in immersion with ESL

Learn languages November 15, 2012

1. You will make much faster progress with the language you are learning

Learning a language in immersion means that you have little choice but to communicate in that language. This is a very different experience to learning in a classroom at home. At home you can automatically revert back to English the moment you step outside the classroom, but this isn’t possible when you are away.

If you are an English native speaker, you may not exposed to other languages in your normal daily life but that is not the case when you learn in immersion as you will spend hours each day studying and the time outside of class using your new skills to communicate. This leads to much faster progress.

2. Get deep into a culture

Bolivia
Bolivia, photo: Øystein Sassebo Bryhni

More than “just” learning the language, you will discover the culture that comes with it. Of course, your experience will depend on where you choose to study, but there is no question that you will have a more rounded and authentic experience visiting a place when you learn the local language. When you can look at a menu in a local restaurant and know what the names mean, when you can dance a local dance, when you can laugh at a joke that you overhear on the street or a cartoon in the newspaper, that shows you have more than language skills.

3. We offer a superb range of destinations (and know them well)

Have a look through our website and you will find more than 220 destinations around the world. Our team regularly visit partner schools and can pass on this first-hand advice to you. We are dedicated travellers and love to share our experiences.

4. Make local friends

Especially if you choose to stay with a local host family, you spend a lot of time with local people. Staying with a host family means you will speak the language you are learning first thing in the morning (this is not always easy) and in the evenings too.

But even if you don’t stay with a host family, you will have plenty of chances to meet local people. When you travel you will be in an open state of mind, ready to meet new people, happy to start conversations that you would never start at home. And that is often where the best stories start!

5. Our best price guarantee means you pay exactly the same price as booking directly with the school

Worried about the cost of learning a language abroad? With ESL, you pay exactly the same as if you turned up at the school and signed up. What’s more, we have regular special offers that make the programmes even more attractive.

6. ESL has been repeatedly voted the number one study abroad agency in Europe

Our industry peers have repeatedly voted ESL the number one European agency in our industry at the annual LTM Star awards. We believe this is due to offering superb service to our students and maintaining strong communication with our partner schools around the world.

7. You will make friends from all over the world at the school

Not only will you meet local people, but you will meet people from all over the world. Language schools are very international places and we are careful to choose schools that balance the nationalities of their students. This is important because when a single nationality is over-represented in a class, it creates an imbalance and doesn’t encourage learners to practice the target language when the class finishes. When there is a good balance of nationalities and mother tongues, you will use the target language to communicate and have a truly international experience.

8. ESL has over 15 years experience organising language study trips around the world

In that time we have helped thousands of students to learn languages. So, if you have any questions about destinations, visa requirements, insurance, flights or anything at all, just ask.

9. Exciting activities

Language lessons are only a part of what your school has to offer. When choosing which schools to work with, one of the most important things we consider is the range of activities on offer. Of course, what’s on offer depends on the destination, but you will certainly find an exciting variety of options… all in the target language.

Whether rafting in the Alps, watching a football match in Rio or surfing in Biarritz… the activities offered will make your trip more enjoyable but also develop your language skills further.

10. You can gain official certification

If you are learning a language with a view to giving your CV a boost, perhaps you could consider an official exam/certificate. An official certificate shows employers that you have taken the time to learn a language properly and chosen to sit an exam in your own time: all very positive things with an eye to employability. Give yourself a professional headstart.

Contact us to find out more about our language courses for adults.

By Christian Boveda

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