10 Easy Ways to Improve Your Language Skills While Studying Abroad Hult Blog

Written by Alan Pierce, Masters  student, San Francisco campus, class of 2016. No matter where you are in the Hult campus community you are no doubt surrounded by foreign languages. This global environment is one of the unique aspects of the Hult experience – it’s also a great opportunity to deepen (or begin) your foreign language-learning journey. You likely have people that speak your target language and also people hoping to learn like yourself! This is one of the benefits of studying abroad. When I first went abroad for undergraduate studies, from the U.S. to Spain, I had one year to be fully immersed in the Spanish language. Because I had English-speaking friends there as well it was tempting to speak in our native language. Still, I made efforts to bring Spanish more fully into my life which helped me approach fluency by the time I left the country. Below I list 10 ways to improve language skills: Change your computer’s default language Netflix and chill Stop hanging out with your countrymen Read a book you already know well Post-it Notes are your friend Carry a dictionary with you, always Network in a foreign language Play improv games with your friends Memorize lyrics to songs Download an app Change your computer’s default language. This is arguably the easiest step to take. On a Mac it takes three clicks. As any 21st century student knows, school life keeps us locked to our computers and tablets (as if we weren’t already). Learning to navigate your technology in the language you wish to learn is a   great way to keep that language fresh in your mind every day – and to learn new words that will soon become second nature. That way, even if you’re on Facebook during class you’re still being a little bit productive. Netflix and chill Give new meaning to the term â€Å"Netflix and chill† by watching shows in your target language. Netflix and other streaming sites offer a variety of foreign-language films and TV shows, in addition to subtitles and dubbing of your favorite shows. You already know you are going to watch Netflix to procrastinate your readings – might as well earn some guilt-free productivity points by streaming Friends en espaà ±ol. Stop hanging out with your countrymen Okay, you don’t have to completely run away from them but if you spend time with people who speak your native language chances are you’ll speak your native language. I know this from both personal experience and observing other students at Hult. One way you can actually take advantage of this is to find a group of people from the country whose language you want to learn and hang out with them. They’ll speak their native language, and you’ll be learning all kinds of new slang, and probably words that don’t even translate to your native language. Read a book you already know well Are you trying to learn German? Do you recite Harry Potter quotes with your friends? Perfect. Pick up â€Å"Harry Potter und der Gefangene von Askaban† and you’re well on your way to learning some awesome new words in German. I read the first four Potter books in Spanish and can now tell my Spanish-speaking friends what my Patronus looks like. Harry Potter references aside, the familiarity of the book you choose will enable you to understand what you’re reading and facilitate a quick and fun learning of new words and phrases. Post-it Notes are your friend My brother went to Argentina for one year just after high school. When he left he knew dazzling Spanish basics like â€Å"Where is the bathroom?† When he came back he spoke like a fully-fledged Argentinian cowboy. One of the secrets to his language transformation: a Post-it note wall in his room. Every day he learned new words he would write them down on a Post-it and put it on the wall in his room. Apparently, literally being surrounded by words is a good way to get them stuck in your brain. Carry a dictionary with you, always An underrated form of language learning, pocket dictionaries can help you navigate spontaneous situations or answer a nagging vocabulary gap on the fly. I tried to learn snowboarding in Spain and had my trusty mini dictionary with me, which turned out to be crucial for asking about the right ski lift to ride in order to avoid the steep expert hill. While I never really learned to snowboard, I avoided needing any injury-related vocabulary. Network in a foreign language Networking is an art, and for most not an easy one. Add a new language to the mix and, well, you’re more committed than most language learners I know. Of course, you’ll want to have conversational proficiency before attempting this, but connecting at an event in such a way not only reflects your discipline to learning, but a willingness to take risks. If you’re interested in working in a foreign professional environment networking is a great place to practice talking about your industry and demonstrating your language capacity to that network. Play improv games with your friends This will depend on your current level of language learning, but improvisation activities offer some of the most engaging ways to get better and have fun at the same time. Your city may even have local groups dedicated to improv in different foreign languages. If that sounds terrifying, use Google to search for improv activities you can play with your friends. When learning a language you may fear making a fool of yourself. With improv that’s the point! Problem solved. Memorize lyrics to songs If you’ve ever lived abroad then you have probably experienced going to a bar or club to experience the local music scene. While your local friends are singing along to their favorite jams you smile and pretend you know what is happening. Take the time to learn the lyrics to some of the local music. Songs are a great way to help words stick. And nothing connects you quicker with a local culture than belting out a karaoke song in the local vernacular. Download an app Remember the productivity points I mentioned earlier? Here’s another way to earn those while you’re immersed in your smartphone. Language-learning apps have their limitations but they do provide an easy way to always have a language lesson at your fingertips. Some of my favorites are Duolingo,  Memrise, and English Live. Just don’t get caught in class practicing your daily lesson. I hope these will be useful to you as you continue to dive into the learning of a new language. Don’t forget that the Hult community is a resource itself. Whether there is a Language Club on campus or not, you are surrounded by native speakers of many languages who are all potential language mentors. Good luck, or as they say in Spanish, buena suerte! If you would like to find out more about Hult’s global business programs,  download a brochure here. Make the most of what your career has to offer with a Masters in International Business from Hult. To learn more, take a look at our blog Decisions, decisions: making the choice to study abroad or give your employability a huge boost with an MBA in international business. Download a brochure or get in touch today to find out how Hult can help you to explore everything about the business world, the future, and yourself. Hult Rotation offers you a chance to study in a truly global way. Our rotation program allows you to study and be immersed in some of the finest cities in the world. 📠¸: @jasminmanzano . Hult Rotation offers you a chance to study in a truly global way. Our rotation program allows you to study and be immersed in some of the finest cities in the world. 📠¸: @jasminmanzano . Each year, Hult seeks to enroll a talented and ambitious incoming class from all over the world. We look for diverse students with a wide range of experiences, perspectives, and interests—students who will thrive in our unique educational atmosphere. Are you ready for a truly global experience? 📠¸: @iambrunadiniz . Each year, Hult seeks to enroll a talented and ambitious incoming class from all over the world. We look for diverse students with a wide range of experiences, perspectives, and interests—students who will thrive in our unique educational atmosphere. Are you ready for a truly global experience? 📠¸: @iambrunadiniz . We’re excited to start 2020 on a ranking high! Hult is proud to have been placed #28 in Poets Quants 2020 rankings for Best Undergraduate Business Schools in the US. Taking a huge leap of 32 places from our 2019 position, we’re also very happy to have secured top positions in key categories like: life-changing experience, practicality of the degree, and global immersion. . With five global campuses, a student body of over 130 nationalities, and a learn-by-doing approach—Hult offers a student experience like no other. . We’re excited to start 2020 on a ranking high! Hult is proud to have been placed #28 in Poets Quants 2020 rankings for Best Undergraduate Business Schools in the US. Taking a huge leap of 32 places from our 2019 position, we’re also very happy to have secured top positions in key categories like: life-changing experience, practicality of the degree, and global immersion. . With five global campuses, a student body of over 130 nationalities, and a learn-by-doing approach—Hult offers a student experience like no other. . â€Å"I’m from an engineering background and needed a whole new skill set for the industry I wanted to switch to. I learned a lot about myself and how I deal with being out of my comfort zone. I learned both soft and hard skills, from how to work in very diverse teams to key accounting metrics and strategy. I was surprised by how weak I was at certain tasks in English or how strong I actually was in other areas. Hult gave me opportunities to try new things and meet people from places I never thought I would have friends. . My internship experiences gave me the chance to broaden my view of different cultures and different companies. I had the opportunity to work and live with people whose values differed from people in my home country. I thought that this would be difficult, but it gave me the chance to reflect on my own values and assess if they were a result of my home country environment or if they were intrinsically mine. . Diederick ter Kulve (@diederick.terkulve) Netherlands Masters in International Business . â€Å"I’m from an engineering background and needed a whole new skill set for the industry I wanted to switch to. I learned a lot about myself and how I deal with being out of my comfort zone. I learned both soft and hard skills, from how to work in very diverse teams to key accounting metrics and strategy. I was surprised by how weak I was at certain tasks in English or how strong I actually was in other areas. Hult gave me opportunities to try new things and meet people from places I never thought I would have friends. . My internship experiences gave me the chance to broaden my view of different cultures and different companies. I had the opportunity to work and live with people whose values differed from people in my home country. I thought that this would be difficult, but it gave me the chance to reflect on my own values and assess if they were a result of my home country environment or if they were intrinsically mine. . Diederick ter Kulve (@diederick.terkulve) Netherlands Masters in International Business . Say a big hello to our Bachelor of Business Administration program cover star, Elisa Orus Plana âÅ" ¨ . â€Å"I’m excited for the future—especially that I cant predict whats going to happen. Maybe Ill end up in Mexico working for a trading company or maybe in Africa, developing my own business. Everything is possible, and the options are constantly changing. I love the idea that Im never going to be stuck doing the same job until the end of my life if I dont want it to be like this. . Hult really supports me and my ambitions and truly believes that we deserve to be considered as professionals as well as students. Here, I get to express not just my opinions but all elements of myself. From my creative side with the Fashion Society to my finance and business sides in Trading Club and the Management Consulting Club. We get a different type of learning here. Not just essential knowledge and theory, but practical skills and mindset. The school is always evolving. We’re encouraged to innovate and to always look for new ways of doing traditional things. We learn how to be more confident and become aware of how we can impact our environment. The school aims to help you become a better version of yourself and to stand out from the crowd.â€Å" . Elisa Orus Plana French Bachelor of Business Administration Class of 2021 Say a big hello to our Bachelor of Business Administration program cover star, Elisa Orus Plana âÅ" ¨ . â€Å"I’m excited for the future—especially that I cant predict whats going to happen. Maybe Ill end up in Mexico working for a trading company or maybe in Africa, developing my own business. Everything is possible, and the options are constantly changing. I love the idea that Im never going to be stuck doing the same job until the end of my life if I dont want it to be like this. . Hult really supports me and my ambitions and truly believes that we deserve to be considered as professionals as well as students. Here, I get to express not just my opinions but all elements of myself. From my creative side with the Fashion Society to my finance and business sides in Trading Club and the Management Consulting Club. We get a different type of learning here. Not just essential knowledge and theory, but practical skills and mindset. The school is always evolving. We’re encouraged to innovate and to always look for new ways of doing traditional things. We learn how to be more confident and become aware of how we can impact our environment. The school aims to help you become a better version of yourself and to stand out from the crowd.â€Å" . Elisa Orus Plana French Bachelor of Business Administration Class of 2021"> During the final days of 2019, you probably reflected on what you’ve accomplished this year—and even this decade—and what you’d like to achieve in 2020. Let us know in the comments below. During the final days of 2019, you probably reflected on what you’ve accomplished this year—and even this decade—and what you’d like to achieve in 2020. Let us know in the comments below. â€Å"The first time we did group work on the program, I went head-to-head with a colleague. It taught me a lot about how I see people, how people see me, and how conflict can be resolved in a kind and productive way. The best feedback you get, when delivered constructively, is the most critical because it really feeds into how you lead. I’ve completely reversed my leadership style—the result is so much richer and more powerful when you lead from behind and lead with strength. . Studying in tandem with working, whilst challenging, gave me the perfect platform to directly apply learning concepts into my business environment, the competitive landscape, and the real-estate industry as a whole. When I started the program, I was very happy in my corporate role. But my courage and aspirations grew to the point that I took on a whole new direction. Having my career coach, Joanna, as a sounding board allowed me to really be strategic and get to know myself. She coached me thro ugh all the interviews, the research, and the questions. It went in parallel with what I was doing academically and after six months everything just clicked. . I went into the EMBA knowing I had nothing to lose and I’ve come out with everything. Great strength, global friends, amazing learning, mentors from professors, a job I love, and the knowledge that I can set my mind to achieve anything and with the right support and resources I’ll get there.† . Kashani Wijetunga British, New Zealand Sri Lankan Associate Director Senior Strategy Consultant CBRE EMBA Class of 2019 . â€Å"The first time we did group work on the program, I went head-to-head with a colleague. It taught me a lot about how I see people, how people see me, and how conflict can be resolved in a kind and productive way. The best feedback you get, when delivered constructively, is the most critical because it really feeds into how you lead. I’ve completely reversed my leadership style—the result is so much richer and more powerful when you lead from behind and lead with strength. . Studying in tandem with working, whilst challenging, gave me the perfect platform to directly apply learning concepts into my business environment, the competitive landscape, and the real-estate industry as a whole. When I started the program, I was very happy in my corporate role. But my courage and aspirations grew to the point that I took on a whole new direction. Having my career coach, Joanna, as a sounding board allowed me to really be strategic and get to know myself. She coached me thro ugh all the interviews, the research, and the questions. It went in parallel with what I was doing academically and after six months everything just clicked. . I went into the EMBA knowing I had nothing to lose and I’ve come out with everything. Great strength, global friends, amazing learning, mentors from professors, a job I love, and the knowledge that I can set my mind to achieve anything and with the right support and resources I’ll get there.† . Kashani Wijetunga British, New Zealand Sri Lankan Associate Director Senior Strategy Consultant CBRE EMBA Class of 2019 . â€Å"It was now or never. I knew that I’d have likely stayed in my neighborhood for years to come if I didn’t take this opportunity. I’d not lived or studied outside of the U.S. before. So I left my job as a global strategist at an advertising agency and moved halfway around the world. I’ve come back a more culturally aware, well-versed person. I’ve realized that everything is a learning experience and an opportunity for growth. Ill definitely carry this mindset with me into the future. Technology and social media allow us to be different people in several places at once. Im excited to see how I can establish myself in whatever city Ill be lucky enough to call home and still maintain deep connections with people all over the world. I’m inspired by my classmates every day. Hearing some of their life stories and how getting this degree fits into their greater mission has been very humbling. My biggest challenge has been finding the ‘right’ path for me. There have been rooms Ive felt like I shouldnt be in, but now Im proud to feel as though I truly belong, wherever I am.† . Dwayne Logan, Jnr. American MBA Class of 2019 . â€Å"It was now or never. I knew that I’d have likely stayed in my neighborhood for years to come if I didn’t take this opportunity. I’d not lived or studied outside of the U.S. before. So I left my job as a global strategist at an advertising agency and moved halfway around the world. I’ve come back a more culturally aware, well-versed person. I’ve realized that everything is a learning experience and an opportunity for growth. Ill definitely carry this mindset with me into the future. Technology and social media allow us to be different people in several places at once. Im excited to see how I can establish myself in whatever city Ill be lucky enough to call home and still maintain deep connections with people all over the world. I’m inspired by my classmates every day. Hearing some of their life stories and how getting this degree fits into their greater mission has been very humbling. My biggest challenge has been finding the ‘right’ path for me. There have been rooms Ive felt like I shouldnt be in, but now Im proud to feel as though I truly belong, wherever I am.† . Dwayne Logan, Jnr. American MBA Class of 2019 . Happy New Year, Hultians! . Happy New Year, Hultians! .