5 Tips to Choose Your Study Abroad Programme

There are so many study abroad programmes available that sometimes choosing the right one for you may seem impossible. If you have decided that you’d like to learn English abroad but you feel confused with all the options, our article will certainly help you make up your mind. Here are our 5 tips to consider:

1. Decide on Your Study Abroad Destination First

It’s very important to choose the right destination for your study abroad programme. You want to be at ease in your new home and the way you feel about it will inevitably influence your learning progress. You should consider numerous factors and list things that are non-negotiable.
For instance, let’s say you hate winter but you only have free time available in what you consider the winter period. That’s not a problem at all! Did you know that when it’s winter in Europe, it’s the middle of summer in South Africa? How convenient that there’s an LAL school in Cape Town…
Other important things to consider include: the local variation of English (e.g. British vs American English), the intensity of courses available and… the length of the flight from your country of residence.  

2. Choose the Duration of Your Stay

Do you know already for how long you’d like to take a study abroad programme? Your language stay can be as short as a week and as long as a year but you should make sure it fits into your personal and professional calendar too. At LAL the most popular language courses for adults such as the General English course, start every Monday. That gives you a lot of flexibility to choose the time that’s convenient for you.
Think whether you would like to start during the peak season or rather off-season and plan accordingly. Remember that the longer your stay the better for your language progress. What’s more, given the cost of flights, staying for an extended period of time once makes much more sense than doing two shorter trips during one year.

3. Take Into Account Extracurricular Activities

During your study abroad programme, learning the language is your priority. This doesn’t mean, however, that it’s not important what you do after you’re done with your classes for the day. Your time off after hours is crucial to your progress too! Remember that “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy”.
This is precisely why you shouldn’t forget to consider what additional activities you’d be interested in during your language stay abroad. Do you love being on the move? Try our Travelling Classroom Experience and travel through England or South Africa with a teacher. If you love sunbathing, you can’t go wrong with booking your course at LAL Fort Lauderdale. We have a good solution for every language learner.

4. Where Will You Sleep?

Just like how extracurricular activities are important for your general well-being and therefore, for your learning progress, so is sleeping. At LAL we have options for those who value privacy and prefer to have a single room in a residence as well as for those who’d like to see how a local family lives and prefer to opt for homestay accommodation. If you don’t like either idea, you can always explore more luxurious alternatives such as guesthouses and hotels. If you’re not sure what’s best for you, visit the LAL website and use the chat option to ask one of our friendly consultants for help.

5. You Don’t Need to Do it on Your Own!

A big perk of an organised language stay with a trusted institution is that you’re taken care of. Even before you commit to a trip, a good service provider will help you find the right destination and a course tailored to your needs. They will explain the payment methods to you and guide you through the process of getting to the country. You’ll be provided with all the necessary documents to apply for your visa and be picked up from the airport, if that’s your preference. Last but not least, during your stay you will always be able to count on the help of teachers and staff. LAL helps students with their journey from the very beginning until the end.

Choosing the right study abroad programme isn’t easy and it’s important to spend some time thinking about it. The pay-off is definitely worth it, though. You’ll improve your English and explore a new, beautiful destination. Are you a young learner or a parent of a young learner? Check out our post about choosing an English language summer school.

Have you thought about your needs? If you feel that you already know what’s the right study abroad programme for you, book it straight away!