If you take a world language, you may have considered studying abroad. Some common countries that people have chosen to study in include Spain, France, United Kingdom, Italy, Denmark, and the Netherlands. When a student chooses to study abroad, they travel to another country to take classes and typically stay with a host family throughout their stay. Usually, the classes you take will be in the language of that country. It is a unique opportunity to become completely immersed in a language and culture, and many argue that is the best way to become fluent in a language.
Ms. O’Hare, the world language department chair at Heritage High School and one of our Spanish teachers, studied abroad in Valencia, Spain for seven months during her senior year of college. She discovered the opportunity through a program offered at the University of Virginia, in which she was attending. One of her favorite aspects of studying abroad was the valuable connections she made with the people she met. O’Hare stayed with a family who had two daughters her own age. She shares that “we still write letters” and that “they involved me so much in their life.” O’Hare also became good friends with the other students in the program, and reflected that “it bonds you when you are somewhere where you can only use that language” and found that “you have to rely on each other a lot.” She also claims that being immersed is the best way to become fluent in a language because it forces you to use the language to overcome challenges. For instance, O’Hare shared that “when I got there the first day, my bank card wasn’t working. I had no way of getting money and I had to go down to the bank and explain my whole situation in Spanish.” Additionally, all of her classes were in Spanish; however, when it came to these challenges she emphasizes that “you just have to put your mind to it.” Lastly, when asked whether she would recommend studying abroad to world language students, O’Hare replied with an emphatic yes.
Furthermore, at Heritage, there is an exciting opportunity for Juniors and Seniors to study a language at the Governor’s School for three weeks during the summer. Although it is not located abroad, the Governor’s School is a free method to gain immersion experience, and it is a great introductory experience for studying abroad later in one’s education. Sophie Gowert is a Junior at Heritage High School and attended the Japanese Academy at the Governor’s School last summer. She found the opportunity through Ms. O’Hare after it sparked her interest when featured on the morning announcements. Before attending, she had minimal knowledge of the Japanese language; however, after the three weeks at the academy, she said that she had “learned a lot.” Gowert said that she thought “it would be a good opportunity if I wanted to go study abroad one day.” Her days at the program consisted of language classes, various activities, lectures, and even a visit from the embassy. Similar to O’Hare’s experience, Gowert stated that her favorite part of attending the school was spending time with the people.
Studying abroad is an extremely valuable experience for any student and will help develop qualities that will set individuals apart when applying to colleges or jobs. It will help improve communication skills, build a global perspective, and develop a network of global connections from the vast number of new people you will encounter. The challenges you will overcome in a foreign country will allow you to become more independent when problem solving and will boost your confidence in unfamiliar situations.
