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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.
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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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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?
Have you considered studying abroad? Moving to Canada to study? With more than 100 world-class universities across the country, there’s good reason to. From coast to coast to coast, it offers many international students a safe and supportive learning environment and the opportunity to work after graduation.
Want to learn more? In this guide, we cover ten things you should know about studying in Canada:
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There are lots of resources available to English teachers today: from textbooks to online teaching tools, they can all aid and enrich English lessons. Many ESL teachers also introduce authentic English material into their lessons to expose learners to the language as it is spoken in the real world.
Authentic material is any material written in English that was not created for intentional use in the English classroom. Using this content for teaching English can make the teaching experience even more engaging, imaginative and motivating for students. It can also be useful to elicit genuine responses from English language learners.
The great thing about using authentic material is that it is everywhere, which makes it easy to find, and simple for learners to practice English in their own time. Remember that it isn’t limited to articles from newspapers and magazines. Songs, TV programs and films, radio and podcasts, leaflets, menus – anything written in English constitutes authentic material.
The best content to select depends on the learners, their level of English and the course content the English teacher wishes to focus on. It’s also a good idea to find out the learners’ interests – after all, there’s no point trying to get students fascinated by a text on the latest sci-fi movie if they’re all fans of action films.
The materials should reflect a situation that a student may face in an English-speaking environment – this will help them transition into a world where English is the norm. In this world, people use abbreviations, body language is important and they’ll use 'filler' sounds – such as 'ummm' – when they are speaking English – and learners will encounter these in authentic material.
It’s important not to overwhelm learners with the first piece of authentic material. So, choose articles, songs or sections of TV programs or movies that aren’t too difficult to understand or take too long to get through.
Younger learners may find speaking in English comes easily to them, more so than reading and writing. However, they need to be well-prepared and familiar with what they have to do in order to be successful in an exam. Let’s look at a few ways we can prepare our students for the International Certificate Young Learners (PEIC YL) oral test and have fun along the way!
The PEIC YL oral test includes two speaking tasks that have an emphasis on real-life communication. Throughout the four levels, the format of the speaking tasks remains the same, with questions and topics suitable for each level and age group.
Learners take the oral test in groups of five, with one examiner, who gives instructions and assesses the learners.
For both parts of the test students are assessed on their vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation.
There are lots of ways in which you can prepare your learners for the test in class. The game-like format of the speaking test makes practicing the tasks an ideal end-of-lesson activity. Here are a few ideas:
Playing board games will allow learners to get used to the functional language they will need to play games, e.g. "It’s your turn" / "Where’s the dice?".
It will also give them plenty of practice in counting the squares in English, which they are expected to do in the test. You can use traditional board games designed for English language learners or make your own.
Include questions on familiar topics such as family, clothes, or vacations.
Young learners love to make things so why not have them make their own board games and cards? Put students in groups to make a board game for the other groups to play. You can provide a board template, have them write questions, and draw pictures in the squares.
Make sure you have students write a rough draft of their questions first so that you can check for any errors. It can be helpful to write example questions and prompts on the board as a guide, e.g. 'What (sports) do you play at school?' 'How often do you …?'. Depending on the level, students will need to include questions in a variety of present/past/future tenses.
To prepare for the short talk, give students plenty of practice at speaking for one minute. One way of making this more engaging is by having the students choose their own topics by talking about pictures they have drawn or taken.
If students have mobile phones, you can ask them to choose a photo from the gallery and discuss it with a partner. If mobile phones are not an option, have them bring in some photos from home. These could be pictures taken on vacation, birthday parties, or at other celebrations.?
You could also write a list of topics on the board, have each student choose one, and draw a picture to illustrate it.
The key to good test preparation is to make it a part of your regular lessons, rather than something you do in just the weeks before the test. The more familiar your students are with the tasks, the more relaxed they will be on the day of the test.
