Studying English Abroad What they don't tell you

In this video, I talk aboutstudying abroad and whether it can help you improve your English. I speak frommy own experience of studying Spanish in Argentina, but I also share lots ofinformation that my students have shared with me over the years. To begin,studying abroad costs THOUSANDS of dollars, so it's a big investment. Manypeople spend this money because they think studying abroad will make themfluent. I used to believe the same thing. Then I learned that fluency doesn'tcome from a classroom. It comes when you immerse yourself in a language andcommunicate with other people frequently. Unfortunately, the "school"part of a study abroad trip is very similar to what you can already experiencein your home country. And, while classes can help with your writing, grammar,& vocabulary, they rarely help with your speaking and confidence. So, ifyou are planning to study abroad and you want to make the most of your trip...this is what you need to do: 1. immerse yourself in the culture 2. surround yourselfwith native speakers 3. speak as much as possible 4. work on your confidence& mindset Studying abroad can be an amazing experience, but it's better togo with the right expectations. And, if your goal is to improve your spokenEnglish, it might even be better to apply for an internship or volunteerposition. Just remember that studying English in an English speaking country isnot the solution to your problems with fluency. Many people believe it's theonly way to get fluent, but it's not. I know lots of people who speakphenomenal English and never went to an English-speaking country. If you haveany experience related to this topic, please share it with us in the comments!What was your study abroad trip like? What did you like about it? What didn'tyou like? What advice do you have for people who want to study in an Englishspeaking country? --OR-- Have you gotten fluent without studying abroad? Howdid you do it? --AND FINALLY-- If you are thinking about studying abroad butdon't know if you should, tell us your thoughts in the comments. Why is thedecision difficult for you? What questions do you have about what to expect?Where are you thinking of studying? Why do you want to go? Let's turn this intoa discussion and share our thoughts with each other!