The benefits of studying abroad

What are the benefits of studying a language abroad? Well, I believe that the advantages that you have from going abroad to study a language are worth taking the leap and moving away for a while.
Speaking from a personal point of view I have to say that it is much easier to learn a second language when you are constantly surrounded by natives speaking it. I have been living in Barcelona for four and a half years and although I have never enrolled in any Spanish courses I have learnt a lot just from listening to people conversing with one another and always asking questions when I am unsure of the meaning of a word or phrase.

There is no doubt however that if you want to learn a language well you should study it. If you have the opportunity to travel abroad and study then I would say that it is the best way to learn. Not only will you learn quicker but you will also experience new cultures and meet lots of new people.

One of the best things about living abroad is that everything is new. The culture is different to your own, the people are unknown to you and you are unknown to them, the architecture will almost surely be different to that of your home town and you get to do new things.

If you are interested in studying in an English speaking country then I would recommend my own country, Ireland. I come from Dublin, which is the capital city of Ireland, and it is also home to the ELTA school which uses the Callan method as a way of teaching English. As an experienced Callan teacher, I have seen first hand how this method works and if I was to learn another language I would study using this method. Therefore it is an easy recommendation for me to make by saying that ELTA school in Dublin would be a good choice if you are interested in learning English quickly whilst enjoying everything that a fantastic city such as Dublin has to offer.
Apart from studying English in Dublin, you can also enjoy the historical aspects of the city by visiting places such as Kilmainham Gaol (pronounced jail) and the G.P.O on the famous O’Connell street. Kilmainham Gaol is now run as a museum but once housed prisoners of war such as James Connolly, Padraig Perase and Eamon de Valera, who went on to be the president of the Republic of Ireland.
Dublin is also well known for its love of music. The world famous traditional band ‘The Dubliners’ are from this city and their type of traditional Irish music can be heard every night in many of the warm and friendly bars that are located around the capital. The rock band ‘U2’ are also from Dublin and to this day they still live there.
Ireland also has its own national sports that are run by an organisation called the ‘GAA’ which stands for the Gaelic Athletic Association and within this organisation there are different sports such as Gaelic football, hurling and camogie. These are all played at an amateur level but in the height of the All-Ireland Championship during the summer months they can attract crowds of 82,000 people to Dublin’s Croke Park stadium where the local people cheer on their county teams.

It is easy to see why Dublin would be a great choice to go and study there, but if you are not completely sure then go on a short holiday and see for yourselves what we have to offer.

G. Harman