If you are reading this from the comfort of your home, you might ask yourself, why should I go to the United States to study when I can just study here in my home country? It is cheaper, easier, and not so far away! Well, we are going to get to the bottom of this and answer your question, because we at Q International School are convinced that the best way to learn American English is to study in the US.
We interviewed Alicia, who is a teacher at Q International School, to get her opinion on the subject. This is what she said:
“The best way to learn a foreign language is definitely to go to a country where that language is spoken. This is so you can be immersed in the language and the culture. When I was in high school, I studied Spanish for four years, but I didn’t really become fluent until I studied abroad in Ecuador for a year. Ecuador is a country in South America where Spanish is the native language. I lived with a host family, studied Spanish and other subjects at the local university, and spoke in Spanish all the time. My host family didn’t speak any English, and neither did my friends. It was such an amazing experience, and I learned so much about the Spanish language and the culture of Ecuador. I never could have learned so much if I had not left the country! It was such an exciting experience, and it changed my life in so many ways!”
When you travel to the US to learn English, you will get the full experience. You will be speaking English with your host family, your friends, your teachers, and your classmates. You will also have to use your English when you are in stores, restaurants, and even at the beach! If you want to read a newspaper, it will be in English. All of the road signs will be in English. If you got to the movies, they will all be in English! You will also get the experience of living in the US culture.
This is something that you just can’t get if you stay in your country.
If learning the English language and learning about US culture is really what you want to do, the United States is the place to do it!
Buzzwords, Vocabulary Words, and Idioms:
The comfort of your home: at home
Cheaper: less expensive
Get to the bottom of this: to discover the truth about a situation
To be convinced that: to be completely certain about something
Foreign: of or from a different country that is not one’s own
Immersed: a method of learning a language or culture by being surrounded by it, and only using that language, such as going to the US and being immersed in the English language
Fluent: the ability to speak a foreign language very well, and easily
Study abroad: studying for a time in a different country, at a school or university
Host family: a family that provides housing and sometimes food to students, usually for a fee. This is like a second family that you can live with if you travel to another country to study.
