Many people choose to travel abroad to learn a foreign language instead of studying in their home town. Do the advantages of learning a new language in this way outweigh the disadvantages?

The tendency to move to live in a foreign country to learn its native language has become increasingly popular in recent decades given the fact that sanctions and barriers have been lifted and globalization has become more prevalent all over the world. I believe that the drawbacks of this trend are outstripped by the potential benefits. I believe that the benefits of this trend are greater than the drawbacks. Learning a new language can be challenging if you do not have a suitable environment in which you can totally submerge in the language acquisition. Therefore, there has been a growing tendency of language learners opting for moving to live in a foreign country where the language is spoken to master it rather than staying in their homeland. On the one hand, the disadvantages of doing a language course overseas are significant. Firstly, there is the cost to consider. Along with flights and tuition fees, money is needed for day-to-day expenses such as food, accommodation, travel and entertainment. Indeed, it may be way beyond the financial ability of many students, and, if done at all costs, can put their family’s financial security at risk. In addition, living away from family and friends means that students might need to learn how to live an independent life. For example, they might have to do a number of new things on their own namely cooking, cleaning, shopping, paying bills, doing the laundry – things that they might never have done before, all of which can lead to depression and homesickness, and being surrounded by a strange new culture can increase this sense of isolation. Such problems can even be severe enough to interfere with learning, thus defeating the object of the trip. However, I believe that the drawbacks of studying a language in the country where it is the mother tongue are eclipsed by the potential benefits. Although it may be expensive, students can get a part-time job to help ease the financial burden on their family and meet their financial needs. Through work and school, they can socialize and make friends with other people, especially those who come from the same country, which would make them feel more at home and help overcome homesickness as a result. Plus, a new culture might feel strange at first, but it is also exciting and creates a much richer language learning experience; for instance, through being able to enjoy the literature and music of the country as well as taking part in local festivals where they can gain hands-on experience of the culture and foster their cross-cultural understanding, all of which would help boost their language learning process. Furthermore, the access to native speaker teachers, friends and neighbors and the total immersion in the language means it is possible to reach a far higher level of competency than in your home town. Clearly, there is a lot to be gained from an opportunity like this. Although some students may struggle to adapt to the new culture and deal with financial issues, those who overcome these problems will undoubtedly be enriched by this invaluable experience which is extremely hard, if not possible, to duplicate in their home country. Therefore, in my view, the potential benefits more than make up for any disadvantages.