How did studying abroad increase your foreign language fluency?

belovedin · 12-08-2007, 09:05 PM

What part of the experience helped you become fluent in the language spoken in the country you visited? The courses? The social life?

I want to study abroad in Italy to become fluent in Italian but I'm wondering if it will even help me if I go with a bunch of English-speaking students like myself. By the way, I'm still a senior in high school; I'm just thinking ahead.

AUlostchick · 12-08-2007, 09:35 PM

Well, personally, I have not been abroad yet (am going next summer) but I think just being around native speakers speaking it all the time helps you. Plus I will be in more advanced classes there (I'm finishing up intermediate study here this semester) so there's that as well. I will be living in Paris, and taking the metro everyday to and from class, plus exploring France (and other countries) on my off-time. I will have American friends with me, but most of them will also be in higher-level classes as well, so we will be speaking french to one another as well as english.

nyumom · 12-08-2007, 09:41 PM

If you choose to live in a homestay, then your language fluency is bound to increase. Also, taking higher level classes in the language that is being studied (as noted by AUlostchick) is also valuable.

great lakes mom · 12-14-2007, 09:08 PM

To gain fluency, avoid spending all hang out time with other Americans. Find local friends, stay in a homestay, do volunteer work, watch TV in the language. Many students use abroad semesters as party time, and spend too much time with friends from home, so don't take advantage of the language learning opportunities.

tokenadult · 12-14-2007, 11:50 PM

Radio in the local language can be even better than TV. Definitely don't spend most of your time with Americans. I was able to get paying work as an interpreter of Chinese for years after my stay in Taiwan.

MotherOfTwo · 12-27-2007, 09:35 PM

The program my daughter attended in China was total immersion. The students were not allowed to speak English to their fellow American students or to Chinese students or other Chinese people who might want to practice their English. She definitely greatly improved her fluency through this program. Are there similar total immersion programs in Italy?

ticklemepink · 12-28-2007, 10:35 AM

I absolutely agree with great_lakes_mom. I take it from my experience in Israel in learning Hebrew. I spent the first month hanging out with Americans (essentially just finding a support group of friends) and learning the language. After all that and my family left, I got RIGHT into the Israeli society and started speaking in Hebrew at the marketplace, in the cabs, etc. I also used Facebook to hook up with a couple of Israelis who would bring their friends along and speak in Hebrew with each other (of course English to me). It was GREAT and my spoken Hebrew improved quite a bit with some of the Israeli accent. I did listen to the radio on the bus, watched Hebrew programming (and read the Hebrew subtitles on English-speaking programs), and just generally overlistened conversations everywhere (which is usually awkward for me in the US).

I didn't really make any new American friends during this immersion time- I dind't want to. I only did in the last month when I had new roommates to help me mentally prepare to go back to the US. Otherwise, all of my free time was hanging out in the Israeli society and interacting with the Israelis.

When I came home, I was placed out of all the Hebrew course offerings at my school that the teacher and I had to set up independent study for me.

You don't realize how much you can actually improve and your spoken abilities can decline without that total immersion. Now my Hebrew's ehhhhhh.....

Impromptu · 03-15-2008, 04:21 PM

I'm planning on studying abroad in Italy next spring (I was also in Salerno this winter) and I'm also looking to become close-to-fluent. Some advice:

DO NOT STUDY ABROAD IN ROME OR FLORENCE. I would say at least 75 percent of study abroad programs in Italy are in Rome and Florence. The cities are extremely Americanized and I know someone who studied a whole semester in Rome without learning any Italian. Also, my current study abroad adviser also discourages it for students who want to learn the language. That's not to say they're not great cities - because they are. You should definitely visit them (as well as many other Italian cities and others throughout other European countries) while there, but do not study there. Rather, go to a city that is less touristy where you will have a greater opportunity to become immersed in the Italian culture and learn the language (like Milan, Siena, Perugia, Bologna, Torino, etc).

It's really what you make of it. Force yourself to leave your comfort zone. If you choose a program in which you live with other Americans, don't let that prevent you from speaking Italian. If you can, try to live in an environment where you are forced to speak Italian. Become more familiar with the city and meet the locals. Italians are very friendly and most are more than willing to befriend you. Take advantage of that while you're there!

Do you have any idea where you are looking to study?

nyumom · 03-15-2008, 04:40 PM

NYU has a wonderful program in Florence, and the students that my D knows who have studied there found it to be very worthwhile in terms of the Italian language/cultural immersion, etc.

nyumom · 03-15-2008, 04:41 PM

In fact, D is planning to visit the NYU in Florence campus and said that if she was studying Italian, she would have definitely participated in the program.

ergcat · 03-24-2008, 05:44 PM

Agree with GreatLakesmom. My D went to Nantes, France last year with IES -- a total immersion program. Did a homestay, tried not to hang out with Americans, did an internship, took courses at local university. Her fluency went way up! On other hand, my son is in Germany now with his Univ program -- taught in English. He lives in dorm with other Americans. His German is not improving too much.

Aubstopper · 03-30-2008, 08:03 PM

I'm currently studying at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

Unfortunately, in Jerusalem almost everyone speaks english very well. Sometimes if you try to speak in Hebrew and people if they hear the slightest accent, start speaking to you in english. Plus, many of them are anxious to practice their english, making it even harder. It's also a very Anglophone area...many people american or canadian immigrants.

I got up to level dalet hebrew (lower advanced) and then was so frustrated with the program I decided not to take hebrew this semester. I do admit, however, that my listening comprehension is about 100% better and my reading and writing aren't bad either..something that i do lack in, however, is speaking ability because i'm not allowed to speak in hebrew it's beginning to seem!

I also thought that i'd start picking up some arabic living in East Jerusalem and all, but apparently it's not working much.

A friend of mine from UCLA got up to advanced level hebrew and yet placed in israel into the intermediate level. I'm pretty sure when i get back to school, even though i'm def not fluent, that i'll get placed out of Advanced level even though i've only taken up to the lower advanced...

I agree with the others..wehn you choose a study abroad program, go somewhere that's not so international...so you can really learn the language.

ginnyvere · 03-31-2008, 10:10 PM

I studied in Italy, and I don't consider myself fluent, but I do think I'm pretty well-versed in Italian. Most of the major cities in Italy are used to English-speaking tourists and students. In most shops and restaurants people will speak to you in English. Don't let them. Even if they talk to you in English, speak back to them in Italian. Sometimes they'll switch back to Italian and sometimes you'll go on having a conversation in both languages. But FORCE yourself to use your Italian.