Staying in touch while studying abroad can be tricky, expensive, or both. One option to consider is the Mobal GSM World Phone. There are many advantages to buying a Mobal phone rather than renting one while overseas or going with a different cell phone company. With Mobal, there are no monthly fees, no minimum usage, and no contract. Also, you only pay for calls as you make them, AND you get to keep one international phone number for life. When you get back from your trip, you can throw the Mobal phone in a drawer, dust it off the next time you travel internationally, and presto, instantly connect.
If you are in the planning stages for studying abroad, check out Study Abroad eBook, which is a site devoted to compiling good resources. There are some interesting eBooks that are worth checking out on this site. For language travelers, there are two books devoted to tips about learning a language: How to Learn Any Language, which was written specifically for Americans, and How to Learn a Foreign Language, which is designed to help language students save time and confusion.
There are also phrasebooks in Spanish, French, and one for 25 different languages. You can also find packing advice from Fodor's. In addition, Study Abroad eBook has Frommer's and Eyewitness Travel Guides for many destinations.
Overall, Study Abroad eBook is a good resource to save time shopping for eBooks about study abroad.
Watch a video from AmeriSpan Study Abroad's Spanish school in Cordoba, Argentina. AmeriSpan has language schools all over the world, along with volunteer programs, college study abroad, and much more. To see videos of more AmeriSpan programs, visit their YouTube page.
For those looking to combine language learning with a hobby or
fun activity, language immersion programs can also have a fun element. These
types of programs usually have language lessons in the morning and lessons in
your chosen fun element in the afternoon (or vice-versa). Examples of these
types of programs would be combining Spanish with surfing, Chinese with martial
arts, French and wine tasting, Italian and cooking, Arabic and calligraphy,
Portuguese and samba dance, and the above mentioned programs for people over
the age of 50. These programs are ideal for people looking to learn the
language in the traditional way, plus get to practice while doing something a
little different and fun.
As we've blogged about previously, we are strong believers in preparing for your study abroad trip as much as possible. Many types of language software can be quite expensive, however, especially for language travelers that are on a shoestring budget. A cool resource we've uncovered is Praxis Language, which offers online podcasts in several different languages: Chinese, Spanish, French, and Italian. ChinesePod was their flagship podcast, and is well worth considering. Praxis has followed up with an excellent collection of podcasts in all four languages.
While many people think of studying abroad during their college
years, it’s just a small piece of what is available. Programs are available for
all ages and skill levels. Some of the most diverse study abroad providers
offer programs for children as young as 5, and specialized programs for adults
over the age of 50.
There are many different ways to study abroad as well. Of course,
there are standard language immersion programs. These programs generally
consist of several hours of classes per day, and participants stay with host
families during their time abroad. Often, excursions are available, either
prepared by the school, or planned and executed individually.
A great way to maximize your learning while studying abroad is to record your classes. One way to do this is to get an iPod voice recorder to take along with you. This way, you can pay attention to learning while in class, without having to take a ton of notes. Of course, you can write down pertinent phrases as you are in class, but also have the luxury of listening again later for clarification and more careful note-taking.
Another cool thing about using a voice recorder is that you can record yourself talking, play it back, and compare your accent and pronunciation to what you hear around you. You can even record dialogs between you and your host family to listen to.
We found a cool video of the awesome Machu Picchu, located in Peru. This magnificent ancient city is one of the top tourist destinations in the world. Machu Picchu is an excellent trip to make if you are studying abroad in Peru. It is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Watch more videos like it here.
Language software is a great way to get your feet wet in a new language. Perhaps you are unsure which one you would like to learn, and want to try it out a little before committing to studying abroad. Or maybe you are planning a study abroad trip and want to refresh your skills, or simply learn some key phrases so you will be able to get around safely in the beginning.
Packing for your study abroad trip is no easy task. Luckily, our experts have taken the guesswork out of what bag you should choose. The best bags allow you to carry on, especially now that most airlines charge for checked baggage, are lightweight enough to carry comfortably, have multiple compartments to allow easy access to important items, and have several carrying options.
