How to Learn a Language
“Learning another language is not only learning different words for the same things but learning another way to think about things.” - Flora Lewis, American journalist
Whether you’re soon to step off a plane in Italy, Japan, or Peru, one thing is certain: English isn’t the native language in any of our semester study abroad locations. And that’s part of the adventure!
Getting to grips with the local language will mean you can unlock a better understanding of your host country’s culture. It will help you navigate everyday life, and give you the best tool for creating more meaningful connections while you’re abroad.
In Fukuoka and Florence, your classes will be taught in English, but knowing at least the basics of the local language will be invaluable for tasks like ordering a coffee, reading labels in the supermarket, or figuring out public transportation. If you’re heading to Peru, you’ll need to test at an intermediate Spanish level; your classes will be taught in Spanish.
So, if studying abroad is even as much as a dream for you, we challenge you: Start learning now. Give yourself a head start. Find a way to make it fun for you and set realistic goals. Most importantly, be consistent.
Here are a few tips to get you started before you travel:
START WITH AN APP. Everyone’s favorite green owl, Duo (the star of the Duolingo app, for the uninitiated), will likely soon become part of your daily routine. While Duolingo may not be the best way to become fluent, it can certainly help you build a foundation and keep you motivated. With its gamified approach, you’ll work through levels (leagues), maintain a daily streak, and complete weekly quests with friends. You’ll practice writing, reading, speaking, and listening skills. If Duolingo’s not for you, there are many other language learning apps to explore with different features and pricing.
ENROLL IN A COURSE. Check to see what language learning opportunities your university offers, or consider a weekend or evening course locally. Paying for a course often boosts your commitment to showing up and sticking with it with more consistency. You’ll also have a more intensive learning experience interacting in person with your instructor and your peers. You’ll put into practice what you are learning as you go, with immediate feedback. If local courses aren't an option, online classes are a great alternative.
HOST A LANGUAGE EXCHANGE. If your university hosts foreign exchange students, why not organize a weekly language exchange with those who speak the language you’re trying to learn and invite a few native-English language speaking friends who would be happy to join in? This could happen at a cafe, or if you have access to a kitchen, you can take turns cooking and sharing a meal. This would also be a great way to gather other cultural insights beyond language if you’re meeting with students from your soon-to-be host country.
CREATE A LANGUAGE BLOG OR JOURNAL. As you begin to learn basic vocabulary, challenge yourself to write about your day in this new language. If you’re feeling brave, this could be on a daily blog, or even on an Instagram account where you post in this language. Or you can simply write in a notebook, privately. It’s all about practice, one way or another.
CONSUME PODCASTS, MOVIES, SERIES, AUDIOBOOKS, AND MUSIC. This is especially fun if you find some content that aligns with your personal interests and was created by people from the country you’re planning to study abroad in. Listening to the language is a great way to pick up different vocabulary, get used to the sounds and rhythms of the language even if you don’t understand everything, try to single out words you do understand, and get a feel for different accents and intonations.
TRY CROSSWORDS AND WORD SEARCHES. Try something completely different and see if you can challenge yourself to complete a crossword puzzle or word search, or even online games like Wordle, in a second language. Small puzzle books are great for airplane entertainment.
FOLLOW NATIVE SPEAKERS ON SOCIAL MEDIA. Having the random second-language TikTok or reel pop up in your feed can keep language learning fresh and introduce you to more casual vocabulary and trending cultural references.
COOK WITH RECIPES IN YOUR SECOND LANGUAGE. Whether you’re reading through a recipe from a blog or listening to a step-by-step YouTube tutorial, cooking along with a recipe in the language you’re learning will keep you on your toes, teach you new vocabulary, and you’ll have something delicious at the end of it.
Here are a few tips to improve your language skills while abroad:
PUT YOUR PRIDE TO THE SIDE. Research shows that immersion is one of the best ways to learn a language, and that's exactly what you’ll experience while abroad. But beyond passive everyday exposure, you can accelerate your learning by tossing aside any fears of getting it wrong or of sounding silly. Take every chance you get to speak and learn and ask for feedback; you’ll pick it up a lot faster than those who hold back. Locals will appreciate the effort, mistakes and all. Amy Chua got it right when she said, “Do you know what a foreign accent is? A sign of bravery.”
CHOOSE A HOMESTAY. If you have an option to stay in a homestay in your location, do it! Living with a host family can be a golden opportunity when it comes to fully immersing yourself in both the language and the culture. You’ll have daily conversation practice over meals, listen to conversations happening around you about everyday life, have someone local beyond your EdOdyssey site leader and university staff to lean on when you have questions, and you’ll likely head back to the US feeling like you have a second home.
KEEP A NOTEBOOK OR PHONE NOTE. Throughout the day, jot down words or phrases that would be useful to learn in your new language, plus anything you heard that you want to remember or look up, or anything you felt unsure about when you were speaking that you want to clarify. Review your list at the end of each day, find answers, and write them down. Then look over your previous notes and test your memory. Commit to putting some new vocabulary into practice in the coming days. If you’re feeling especially inspired, you can turn your notebook scribbles into flashcards.
JOIN A CLUB, TEAM, OR GROUP. Sign up for a group where you can interact with local students. This could be an actual language exchange or something unrelated—a pilates class, a crafting group, or a foodie club. Can’t find a group? Start your own! Not only will you feel more intertwined with the local community, but you’ll be able to practice speaking in a relaxed and safe space outside of the classroom.
WATCH LOCAL TV SHOWS AND MOVIES. Go to the cinema or check out a local series that your new friends recommend. Listening can be just as important as speaking, so expose yourself to the language as often as possible and in as many formats as possible. This is a fun, low-pressure way to practice.
PARTICIPATE IN COMMUNITY EVENTS. Events like festivals, celebrations, or street markets are great places to hear the language all around you. Ask questions, chat with vendors, or just listen in on conversations around you. Not only are these dynamic spaces for language practice in real-life situations, but they give you insight into the local culture too.
PLAY BOARD GAMES. Whether it’s a language-focused game like Scrabble or something completely different like Rummikub or Monopoly, playing board games with local friends can be a fun way to practice speaking and listening skills as well as pick up some game-related vocabulary, and maybe some casual slang too.
PICK UP A MAGAZINE. Improve your reading and vocabulary by working your way through your favorite magazine in the local language. Whether that’s something like Vogue, Monocle, or a local indie title, find something that matches your interests. The beauty of a magazine is that you can read small snippets of print, you can write in it as you go, and you can take it with you anywhere for a refreshing break from screen time.
READ MENUS. When you’re out for dinner, choose your meal but then take some more time before the food arrives to comb through the menu and spot any words you don’t already know. If you’re with a local friend, ask them to explain. If not, jot them down and look them up later.
As Flora Lewis implied above, learning a language is about more than just mastering grammar or memorizing words; it’s about allowing yourself to step into a new way of thinking and experiencing the world around you. Each action or step forward that you take—joining a club, watching a movie, or starting a conversation at a market—brings you a tiny bit closer to understanding not just the language, but the culture too.
Many of us at EdOdyssey speak, or are currently learning, an additional language (or two or three) and we will be the first to admit that it’s not a simple task. But the more you persist, the more you push yourself forward, the more risks you take in using the language as you learn it, the more rewarding the experience becomes. Every new word, every conversation, every mistake, peels away another layer of this worthwhile challenge. Your study abroad experience will be richer and more authentic because of your efforts.
And learning a new language will benefit you far beyond your semester abroad. Research shows that being bilingual can boost your creativity, problem-solving skills, and even your career prospects. Bilingual employees in the U.S. tend to earn 5-20% more than their monolingual counterparts and are 50% more likely to be hired.
So, whether it’s ordering a coffee in Florence, playing chess with a local in Fukuoka, acing your classes in Lima, giving it your all in a future job interview, or planning a year as a digital nomad after you graduate, your new language skills will pay off in more ways than one!
