If you are ready to immerse yourself in the English language, an Intensive English Language Program might be a great way for you study abroad and learn one of the most used languages worldwide. English is both an official language and the official language in almost 60 sovereign states as well as the most widely learned second language. [i]Learning English in an English-speaking country turns your entire experience into a language laboratory. If you are ready for the challenge, an Intensive English Language Program may be a great way to help boost your confidence, earn credits and learn a foreign language at the same time.
Why Consider an Intensive English Language Program?
There is certainly more to learning a language than what you get from a textbook, whether it is the subtle ways native speakers greet each other, or how they order food in a restaurant. Plus, it is hard to ‘get’ the fluidity component. This usually develops when you use the language you are learning (as opposed to practicing in your head). If you are interested in a scenario where you do get lots of practice, an English language immersion program offers this and more.
FUN FACT: Hello is a pretty standard greeting, but there are others: ‘hi’, ‘hey’, ‘good morning’, ‘morning’, ‘what’s up’, ‘howdy’, ‘hiya’. It all depends where you are and who you are speaking to (buddy, teacher, boss)
Is an English Language Immersion Program Right For You?
Keep in mind that an Intensive English Language Program is just that – intensive. If you have ever squeezed your own orange juice you know what concentrated flavor is. Undiluted. As with an immersion English course, the learning part isn’t watered down. Instead of having a class every week or twice a week, you might get lots of classes and course material packed into whatever period your program is for: Lots of material in little time versus little material in a lot of time.
The Study Abroad Component
While you are certainly not a tourist, and you may have to skip a few outings to get your assignments done, studying English abroad might be a great way to see a country you have never been to before, learn the local phrasing and nuances, and use the language in your daily activities. Plus, when you do have time off you can work on building your self-reliance and confidence, and soak in the culture of your host country. In some programs you stay with a host family, in others there are accommodations.
What Skills Might I Come Away With?
Each Intensive English Language program offers its own curriculum and merits, so you should definitely review a few options to see which one focuses on the area you hope to improve, perfect or gain a better grasp of. For instance, you might be looking for applied linguistics or business English.
Learning a language means:
- You understand when someone is speaking to you, and answer back.
- You get comfortable speaking the language to others
- You are able to read (English) and comprehend what you are reading
- You develop good grammar and writing skills
Building Fluency in English
Being fluent in a language may take time, but with an English immersion program, you are using the language in and out of classroom, so you are continually learning and processing, building up your fluency by having to respond in real time with your new found vocabulary, sentence structure and semantics.
Boosting the Brain
Giving your brain a workout by learning a second language has proven benefits for intelligence, memory, and concentration. Intensive English Programs are going to make your brain exercise, improve cognitive skills and overall keep your brain fit.
Find an English Language Immersion Program
StudyAbroad.com makes it very easy to find an Intensive English Language Program. From the navigation menu, select a country to study in or browse according to program duration. For instance one-week programs may be different than one-year programs.
If you find textbooks too limiting, and you want to combine earning credits with the opportunity to meet new people from different countries, choosing an Intensive English Language study Abroad program may be a great fit. Certainly the exposure to continuous learning in an interactive and social learning might be the experience of a lifetime! Continued success as you learn English Abroad!
[i] /en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_language | .phrasemix.com/collections/15-ways-to-say-hello-in-english | usnews.com/opinion/blogs/economic-intelligence/2014/01/29/the-business-benefits-of-learning-a-foreign-language
