I am a freshman in high school and hope to study abroad my junior year.
What is studying abroad like?
What country should I go to? I have been considering: France(already know some French), Norway, Italy, and Iceland. I'd be willing to consider others as well. I am so undecided..!
How well has language immersion worked for you in learning a language? How long did it take to be fluent or almost fluent?
How is home sickness, and how to cope?
Thanks!(:
PS. I might go to college in Europe (I'm from the states) so I think this will be good, especially for knowing some extra languages.
Study Abroad Advisor2013-03-04T12:19:41Z
Favorite Answer
Hi! It's so great to hear that you're interested in studying abroad. I was an exchange student in Italy and it was amazing. Studying abroad was very challenging, but I think it was worth it. Learning a new language was difficult and there were several times when I felt very homesick, but I gained so much from the experience. It's important to keep in mind that being an exchange student isn't a vacation-- you'll be required to go to school and will be living the life of a normal teenage in whichever country you choose.
Honestly, I don't think it matters where you study abroad-- you'll probably have a wonderful experience no matter which country you choose. People in Norway and Iceland tend to know English very well, so it might be a little bit more difficult for you to learn the language. Knowing some French might help you at the beginning of your exchange if you go to France, but you will learn the language of whatever country you choose, so I wouldn't worry too much about that.
I was comfortable in Italian after about 3 months-- some people learn a little bit faster and some people learn slower, but that seems to be the average. Immersion is definitely the best way to learn a language. I have studied languages in classrooms, but learning through immersion was much more effective.
Homesickness was rough, but I think the best way to cope with it is to throw yourself into the culture of your host country. Make friends, find a hobby, or spend time with your host family. Spending a lot of time on Skype or Facebook will only make the homesickness worse!
Your query states ITALY and you're speakme abut austrailia. Both are absolutely different cultures, continents, and experiences for you. I would reccommend going to italy. That you could journey everywhere, see wonderful structure, one of the oldest and richest culture wherever on the planet, all while having a quality time. Austrailia is uncommon too, but my vote could be italy! First-rate food, fine wine, quality women, excellent historical past... What extra could you ask for!!!