Language learning tips for international students

蜜桃app Languages
A woman smiling with a backpack stood outside in a cobbled square with many people in the background

Reading time: 4 minutes

Are you studying abroad (or soon to be), learning a new language and need some inspiration on ways to practice your language skills in the real world? Don't worry. It can be daunting to know how to begin, especially in an unfamiliar place, However, with a little bit of effort and following these useful tips, you will be able to improve your language skills and make the most of your study abroad experience.

Language learning tips for international students
播放
隐私和颁辞辞办颈别蝉

观看此视频表示你同意培生可於一年内使用你观看的数据以作分析及营销之用。你可以通过清除肠辞辞办颈别蝉撤销设定。

1. Join university groups or societies

Becoming an active member of clubs and societies that align with your interests.

Participate actively: Attend the regular meetings and events that are organized by the groups you join. By actively participating in these activities, you'll have the opportunity to engage with peers who share similar interests and engage in diverse conversations. In fact, you may even want to consider taking on a leadership role by joining a group committee. This will allow you to gain even more language experience and contribute to the success of the group.

Collaborate on projects: Initiate or participate in collaborative projects within the group. Discussing and planning projects in the target language not only hones your language skills but also fosters teamwork and creativity.

2. Strike up conversations during errands

Elevate mundane errands into language learning opportunities by striking up conversations during your daily routine. Whether that’s talking to the cashier or to someone on the bus. They don't have to be long, even brief encounters can help you practice.?

Expand vocabulary: When engaging in conversations during errands, pay attention to the specific vocabulary related to daily tasks. Practice expressing yourself using phrases commonly used in these situations, such as asking for directions or inquiring about products.

Local slang and expressions: Informal settings often expose you to local slang and expressions. Take note of these and incorporate them into your conversations to sound more natural and connected to the local culture. It is also a great way to become familiar with some of the local community.

3. Attend university and cultural events

Experience the local culture by actively participating in events and festivals; this could be either via uni-organized events or local ones.

Engage with locals: Don't limit yourself to observing; actively engage with locals during cultural events. Express your curiosity, share your experiences, and inquire about the significance of different cultural elements. This interaction enhances both language and cultural comprehension.

Document and reflect: Start a cultural journal or scrapbook to record experiences and reflections after attending events; it reinforces language learning and provides a personal record of cultural exploration. ?It’s also a nice way to remember fun events when looking back in the future.

4. Volunteer and work opportunities

Explore volunteer/work opportunities within your university's student union or within the local community.

Event planning and coordination: If possible, get involved in planning and coordinating events. This involvement exposes you to a variety of tasks and communication scenarios, from drafting emails to coordinating logistics and broadening your language proficiency. Additionally, it can be a valuable addition to your resume, especially when you're a recent graduate looking for a job.

Networking opportunities: Volunteer opportunities may extend beyond traditional roles and offer you networking opportunities. Some universities may advertise casual paid positions for jobs like guiding prospective students and their families around on open days or assisting with campus tours. You might be able to offer a unique perspective as an international student.

Consider applying for these paid positions to not only utilize your language skills but also earn some extra income (if your visa permits). Engaging with prospective students and their families offers a unique chance to practice your language abilities in a professional context.

5. Participate in study groups

Supplement your academic pursuits and language skills by participating in study groups with your classmates. This might even lead to making some new friends.

Debate and discuss: Encourage open debates and discussions within your study group. Expressing and defending your ideas in the target language challenges you to think critically and articulate your thoughts more effectively.

Peer feedback: Seek and provide feedback within the group. Constructive criticism and language corrections from peers contribute to a supportive learning environment and help identify areas for improvement.

6. Join university groups on social media

Connect with other students at your university through social media groups dedicated to making friends. If you’re yet to start at the university, there are still often groups available for people looking for others starting soon.

Meet-ups: Utilize social media to arrange or take part in in-person meet-ups with fellow students. These informal gatherings provide a relaxed environment for language practice and allow you to learn from each other's unique language backgrounds. It’s also a great excuse to visit new places in the local area.

Online discussions: Engage in online discussions within these groups. Share interesting articles, ask questions, and participate in conversations to enhance both written and conversational language skills. These groups are often also useful for gaining local knowledge or lesser-known tips about life at the university.

As an international student, you’re likely to be far away from friends and what's familiar, but practicing your language skills shouldn't be hard if you can push yourself to get out there. ?Maybe start by following just a couple of these tips, and rest assured you’ll be developing your language skills in no time and even making new friends and memories along the way.

Practice your language skills with our language learning app .

Looking at studying abroad in the UK? Make sure to check out our posts International students: Which UK university is best for you?

Tests for work, study and migration

More blogs from 蜜桃app

  • A young girl sat at a desk smiling at the front of the class, with other students in the background.

    Four motivating activities to teach core values through reading

    提交者 Nicola Schofield
    Reading time: 4 minutes

    Teaching our?children core?values is so important in helping them to become?happy,?well-balanced?citizens who will make a positive contribution?to?our future society.?

    Values are present and visible everywhere and they are?the?foundation or starting point from where we make our decisions, which ultimately determine our futures. It is,?therefore,?important that our children learn a strong, moral set of values that will help guide them as they grow older,?inform their decisions,?help them to?know right from wrong, solve problems, assert themselves and build self-esteem and confidence.

    Values can be?built?on a?personal level or even?shared at?a group level such as a family and friendship group.?However, we often see them on a larger scale within communities, countries or even the whole world.?

    Having a shared set of values connects people?on a deeper level?and helps us to all work towards the same goals and standards – they can?even encourage people to see the similarities between each other, rather than the?differences.?

    Learning values through reading

    Children learn about values through their families, friends, and teachers, through what they watch or listen to and through their life experiences. They also learn about values?through the books they read.?These lessons?can be subtle but are often?extremely powerful and?can?have a significant impact and influence.

    As an example, let’s have a look at how shared values?are?explored in the?new graded readers series for young learners,?Disney Kids Readers, where special emphasis has been put on exploring values within a story.?At the end, you will find several?value-based activities?that you can download for use in the classroom or?as?an activity at home.?

    How?do Disney Kids Readers teach core values?

    1. Learning through stories that are already familiar can help children to trust in and take on board the key messages much more easily. Familiarity can break down many barriers to communication and help us understand that values are often universal.?
    2. Many children are also familiar with the Disney characters and can find inspiration from reading how they react to situations in life, make decisions and behave. Children often look up to characters and can see them as role models within their own lives. As a result, the readers can be a reference point on how to respond to key life moments and how to incorporate values into real life.
    3. Also, depending on the child's age, some values may be new and children may not yet have experience with them in the real world. Therefore, the Disney stories allow them to explore these key messages through their favorite Disney character’s point of view.?

    Each Disney Kids Reader is linked to a key value?and contains a ‘Values’ page with a?short?comic?strip?that brings to life a specific value.?

    The list below details?a selection of?key values taught across the readers.?You could ask?the children?in your class?to talk about which values are most important to them and why. Ask them to give an example?of?a time when they have demonstrated this value in their own lives.?

    Friendship, positivity, curiosity, confidence, open-mindedness, courage, determination, self-belief, responsibility, resilience, respect, honesty.

    Examples of key values in?Disney stories

    In?The Jungle Book,?friendship?is a key?value,?and we learn that it is important to help our friends. Baloo helps Mowgli when he is alone in the jungle and scared. An angry tiger wants Mowgli to leave the jungle, but when Mowgli meets Baloo, he finds a friend in him. Baloo sees that Mowgli is scared and looks after him.?We learn that it is important to help our friends when they are in need.?

    Do:?Ask the children when they have helped their friends.

    In?Inside Out, we learn about?sincerity?and?how?important?it is to talk about how we are feeling. Riley is a teenager struggling with a whole range of emotions and we learn that life isn’t about being happy all the time and that it is okay to be sad sometimes. The children learn that this is a normal part of life and that talking it through with a friend, a parent or a teacher can help.

    Do:?Ask the children if they share their feelings with others.

    Here are some activities for you to use with your class to help put into practice the core values from the readers. You can use these activities with any book, in and outside the classroom.

    1. My Values Road Sign (L3-4)

    This activity?is?a great way of talking?to?children?about their values. By creating a road sign poster,?it will help them to decide which values are most important to them and it is something that they can?refer?to again and again in challenging times. They can stick it on their bedroom wall, display it on the fridge or you could even make a classroom display of shared values?when children have finished?their?books!

    Download the worksheet

    ?2. Kindness Calendar (L4-6)

    This activity can be done as a family, with friends or as a class. The children fill in the calendar with kind actions they are going to do for 7 days. They can cut them out and place?them?into a jar and ask a different family member/friend/classmate to choose one a day. Do this for a week and discuss how carrying out kind actions makes them feel.?Chances are?it will make them feel good!

    Download the worksheet

    3. Core Values Quiz (L5-6)

    Try this quiz with your class and test their values. The questions focus on the following values: sincerity, honesty, positivity, resilience and friendship. If they answer mostly As, then they already demonstrate most of the values in their lives. If they answer mostly Bs, talk to them about why it is important to be honest, positive, strong and kind. The quiz will start a meaningful conversation about their own values and how they react to common situations in life.

    Download the worksheet

    4. My future self (L1-2)

    The children?fill in the crystal ball with pictures of who they would like to be in the future. Do they want to be smart, funny, have a good job, live abroad, have a family, be rich, be a good friend or help the planet? Which of the plans make one person?(themselves)?happy?and which plans make the world better? Do they need to change any of them?

    Download the worksheet

    Read our blog posts 'Fostering self-care and wellbeing through the world of reading'?and 'The importance of teaching values to young learners'.

  • A teacher sat outdoors with young students looking at a book togethr

    Fostering self-care and wellbeing through the world of reading

    提交者 Nicola Schofield
    Reading time: 6 minutes

    Growing up is an exciting time. Children are curious and open-minded, and every day welcomes a new thing to learn. They are constantly exploring and discovering themselves and the world around them. But children also have to face many challenging times too as they get older. It is, therefore, important that we teach our young people to be aware of their own wellbeing and self-care, what they can do to lead a balanced and healthy life, and give them the tools they need to help them in difficult times, both mentally and physically. ?

  • A child sat on a bed reading a book

    Motivating children to read English books with fun activities

    提交者 Nicola Schofield

    Why is reading important??

    Apart from being a?great hobby?and fun?activity, it can help children improve in many areas of their lives through developing?key transferrable skills. Reading in their native language and English can bring a whole range of benefits. To engage everyone, they must?understand the benefits themselves.? ?

    Ask your students why it's important and create a mind map of ideas. You may also?wish to use some of the points below to start the conversation. Having a common idea that everyone agrees on can help build motivation and engagement in the classroom.?

    Improves?language skills?

    Regular reading develops children’s linguistic skills – it helps them learn good?sentence structure, grammar, vocabulary and?improves?spelling in their own language and in the English language too. Reading aloud?also strengthens?knowledge of phonics and improves?pronunciation?and articulation.??

    Improves memory?

    It can help to develop knowledge of phonics and vocabulary?recall and improve focus and concentration?– all necessary skills when learning a language.?

    Cultivates curiosity?

    Books help kids’ imaginations to grow?and?encourage them to be?more open-minded. They?help us to learn about other cultures and encourage us to think more creatively. Through subtle messages,?reading?builds?an?awareness of the world in which we live and?enables?children to form?their own?opinions?and ask questions.?

    Creates empathy?

    Stories help to develop children’s emotional intelligence?and?empathy towards?others. Exploring?topics and characters allows them to learn about?real-world situations?and think about how they would feel?in?somebody else’s shoes. It encourages?respect for others’ feelings?as well as?other?cultures.??

    Reduces stress?

    It is a great way to?calm the mind and help us relax and destress. Children can learn to use it as a helpful tool in their day-to-day lives.???

    Develops key life skills?

    Children develop their confidence, communication, resilience, patience, social skills and connect?with the wider world, culture?and communities.?

    So how do we motivate our young learners?(even our most reluctant readers)?to develop a passion for reading??

    It?must?be fun,?purposeful and relevant?

    Well-known adaptations?can remove barriers, support and encourage students’ imagination,?and?spark?a genuine interest. They?give purpose and relevance to the students as most students have watched a movie?at some point in their lives and most students have a?favorite movie?or character.??

    Let your young learners choose?

    There are plenty of English Readers to choose from?– if the students can choose their own readers, they will likely be more motivated and focused. Choice gives the students power and makes it more relevant to them. Ask your students to choose their?favorite movie?and?have a vote as a class. Get to know your students, find out what interests them, and base your?book choice around this.?

    Rewards??

    To motivate students, they?must know that they are?making progress. Reward students for their achievements – for example,?create?a vocabulary wall or?a class book chart and give rewards?like?a?sticker?or?a postcard?to take?home.?