MyLanguageTravel provides reviews and recommendations about language study abroad, language schools, language courses, language immersion for adults, students, executive and young learners to learn English, French, Spanish, Italian, and lots more...
Deciding on which particular language school to choose for your study abroad program is a very big decision. You should consider a number of factors to make sure you choose the most suitable one for you, including location, budget, duration, accommodation and reputation.
Now that you’ve decided you definitely want to study abroad, you have some big decisions to make, the biggest of which is choosing the right language school for you. The points below should help you decide.
Firstly you should choose your study abroad country then narrow your choices down to a particular city or region within that country. The most important factor to consider here is that you choose somewhere that meets your interests and needs.
You’ll need to decide what your spending limit is, as you’ll have to pay fees to attend your language course. Course fees can vary hugely between different schools so try to find out why one language school is charging more than another – is their language program that much better? Also find out whether course materials are included within the fees. Books and other materials can be very expensive if you have to buy lots of them. Some schools will include these in your fees, or they may provide the books at a reduced cost.
Of course, the fees you’re charged will also depend on how long your particular language program lasts, and this decision is up to you too. Some language schools only offer summer programs for which the duration could last from two weeks up to eight weeks. Other language schools are open year round and are very flexible about their intake dates and durations – you may be able to start any week of term, and you could choose a language immersion program for anything up to a year, or even longer!
Accommodation is also a major factor to consider when choosing the right language school for you. Different language schools will offer different types of accommodation and you have to decide what you would be most happy in. If one particular school only offers ‘Homestays’ but you don’t think you’ll like this, you’ll need to consider a different school. The types of accommodation you might find on offer include: host family, residential accommodation, campus, hotels / apartments or you may enrol only for the courses without accommodation.
Finding out about the reputation of a language school is very important. If there’s been a spate of bad reports about the school you should find out why before deciding on it. On the other hand, don’t choose a school simply because a friend enjoyed their time there; make sure you still research it to check it meets your own requirements.
