1. Your preferred lifestyle
Participating in a language course abroad usually leaves you with enough spare time to get to know the culture, people, local customs, sports, and more. When it comes to choosing the right place to study a language, you should consider your personal preferences. Do you like cities? Open space? Snow covered mountains? White sand beaches?Similar to planning your holidays, you should first think about what you’d like to do while outside of your classes, and plan from there. If you know that you do not like warm weather, then studying in Miami is probably not a good idea. If you don’t like busy streets or crowds, you may want to consider studying in a smaller town rather than a city. For specific information about different cities around the world, visit the activities listed on Language International's school profile pages.
2. Your language learning goals
Even though different countries speak the same language, you will find that the pronunciations and expressions can be very different from place to place. For example, American English, British English, Australian English and New Zealand English have many differences in pronunciation and use of expressions. If the language course you are about to take is meant to be a preparation for your future job or entrance into a university, it is often a good idea to complete your language learning course in the same country. This way you can get used to the specific dialect spoken there.3. Quality of language instruction
Depending on the location and the price, the quality of schools varies. Some schools in remote locations do not offer extensive services for students, while others in busy locations may have too many students. The best way to learn more about a specific location is to read the reviews on our website to see what other students have said about the schools you are interested in.4. Weather
Weather is an important element to consider when choosing a place to study. Students should not only know a bit about the general weather in the region in which they plan to study, but should look for more specific information on the climate during the time of year in which they will study. Boston, where Language International is located, for example, is a very different place in August (hot & sunny!) than it is in January(snowy & cold!) Even if you know the general climate, make sure you do some research before you pack: location and time of year can make a huge difference!Generally speaking, in the US, the farther south you go the hotter it is, (for example, in Miami), the farther west you go the drier it is (Las Vegas and Los Angeles), and the farther north you travel, the more distinct the seasons will be (New York and Boston). Summers in the United States (from May to September) usually bring nice warm temperatures all around.In the UK, the least hospitable months are November to February – it is cold and the days are short. April to September are undoubtedly the best months – this is when the weather is best, when most attractions are open and when most people visit. July and August are the busiest months in the UK, so prepare for a crowd!
In Australia, summer (December to February) can get uncomfortably hot, but it’s great beach weather, while winter (June to August) offers skiing in New South Wales, Victoria and sometimes Tasmania. In spring and autumn, the weather is mild.
For more information on what to expect from the weather in your location, check The Weather Channel.
Your budget
Finally, make sure you pay attention to your budget needs, as the cost of living in various countries differs greatly. Learn more about how much you should budgetStudents concerned about prices should also consider how far the school is from your home. For example, if you are from Europe, and do not want to spend a lot of money on a flight, you can choose an English school in London, or, a school that is on the East Coast of the US (Boston or New York) will be more cost effective than one on the West Coast (Los Angeles or Las Vegas).
