Every year thousands of students spend a year overseas as part of their degree. As a language student myself, I am currently writing this from the staffroom of a high school in Valencia, Spain, where I’m working as part of my own year abroad. I spent the last six months living and going to university in Toulouse, France and as well as having some amazing experiences, I’d be lying if I said life (and cultural differences) hadn’t tried to throw a few spanners in the works from time to time. The year abroad is a massive learning curve, no matter how old you are or where you come from. As well as giving you an insight into another culture, living in another country can also teach you a multitude of things about yourself and your home country, and like all life lessons, they aren’t always learned in the smoothest of ways…
Toulouse - don't let one bad experience spoil things
1. Language
Language is the best and worst thing about the year abroad. Lets face it, its the reason you’re there. You’ve spent years studying a language and in front of your non-language student friends you can appear practically fluent, especially after a few glasses of wine. Speaking the language in front of a native speaker? Another kettle of fish entirely. Nothing prepares you for the sheer speed of a native speaker, and thats not even taking into account regional dialects or local slang words. Asking your first question at the airport or hearing your first announcement in the train station can sometimes completely break your spirit at a time when you most need reassurance. The verb structures, conjugations, rules of the subjunctive and vocabulary lists you have mentally prepared can disappear in an instant when someone asks you a question you weren’t ready for, so be prepared to look completely stupid several times a week! Its all part of the experience. To their credit, most native speakers will be delighted that you are attempting to master their language, especially for us English speakers (we aren’t known for our linguistic prowess!) and most of them will be patient and helpful. You always have to bear in mind though that just like at home, some people will be downright rude sometimes, and will have no time to wait around whilst you try to remember the past participle of a verb you haven’t used for a year. At times like these its important to remember ‘there are good and bad people wherever you go’ - sometimes its easy to turn one person being rude to you into the whole of France being against you, especially when you are away from home. It helps to remember a bad customer service experience you’ve had at home to try to put it in perspective!
2. Home sweet home?
The next problem you might encounter on your year abroad is something we all take for granted. A home is your number one priority when you arrive on your year abroad, its going to be your base for the next few months, maybe even a year, a place to entertain all the new friends you’re going to meet (more on that later) and your refuge when you are feeling a little homesick. Some universities offer to arrange accommodation in halls of residence at the partner university abroad, but many leave you to your own devices, and if you are working as a teaching assistant and not attending university, private sector accommodation might be your only option. Every year some people drop lucky, for those teaching at a boarding school, accommodation is usually provided, along with meals, for a ridiculously low sum. (I know a girl paying 40 euros a month to stay at her school, with everything included!) Of course there are always downsides to these situations: boarding schools tend to be in more rural areas with not much to do, so although you will have lots of money, you might not always have a place to spend it. Its always good to book a hostel or budget hotel for the first couple of nights if you don’t have a place to stay lined up as you don’t know how long it might take you to find somewhere.
3. Meeting people
Meeting people can be tough. Unless you’re at university (In which case activities will more than likely be organised for Erasmus students) it can be hard, especially if you are teaching. You might be the only person from your university in the town or city abroad, and working as a teacher means you have a different way of life entirely. You can’t just go out and get drunk and skip class the next morning, so it can be difficult to meet people your age. Try asking the teachers at your school or posting a note on the local college/uni noticeboard offering conversation exchange classes.
Valencia - make sure you book somewhere to stay before arriving.
4. Teaching
For the uninitiated, this can be the toughest thing. Nothing will prepare you for unruly teens that have no interested in languages. Its up to you to motivate them, to get them interested. There is no magic trick for this I’m afraid, and it comes with practice, but rest assured that for every kid you get through to, the rebellious ones won’t matter as much. The British Council website has great lesson plans and there are some excellent forums out there to discuss issues with others so don’t be afraid to research. Google is your friend.
5. University challenge
Going to a university in a foreign country can be extremely difficult. You have to attend lectures in another language completely, get used to their system of marking and find your way around a strange campus. There is often a mountain of paperwork awaiting you, and French universities in particular like it to be filled in in red, so make sure you buy quite a few of them to have to hand, and also get a few passport photos taken, as foreign universities like to keep a photo of you on file for every class you’re registered in.
Like this? Check out the 5 Best Things About a Year Abroad.