Following Sally Holmwood's guest post about the great things that can come out of going on an international exchange, I'm going to write a little more about what going on an international placement can mean to you.
School exchanges might be considered dangerous by Ceredigion Council in Wales, but they are in fact among the tamer things that can be done. As long as you are in the education system, it is not uncommon to find organised and chaperoned trips are
the norm. But as an adult - where do you go for a spot of living abroad?
©Kerstin
Be more than "8 days on a beach"
I want adults to be daring and look beyond the obvious opportunities. Sure, you could spend a week in a hotel in Barcelona and practice your Spanish at a market stall. But let me tell you why I think that you can do better if you're a budding linguist: You are learning a language in order to connect with a country and its people, not its hotels and museums. Stop thinking the place as a holiday destination, and start thinking of it as a complete world with political debates, economic strengths and smart and interesting people.
The world is a big and inspiring place, and languages only become REALLY interesting when you use them to talk to people about something bigger than your car rental plans.
Plan your "more than holiday" trip now
The top reasons for staying in place and remaining in one country for our whole lives are simple: job security, financial commitments, comfort, families. They are very good reasons to shy away from turning your whole life around and doing becoming a vagabond, but they are definitely not impossible to park for a few weeks or months while you take an extended stay abroad.
I am not of
the opinion that moving abroad should be approached with delusions of
instant language fluency. It's clear that throwing yourself into an
environment where your target language is spoken all the time will help you become more comfortable with it, but it's only one part
in a bigger picture. Read more about this in my article on Fair Languages. To me, the opportunity to experience life and world from a different perspective is a prospect that's so much stronger and more exciting than any C2 certificate in whatever language could ever be.
You won't lose your job
Professional exchanges and development opportunities will not only boost your personal bank of experience, but they are also real career assets. Make sure you choose something relevant, and you'll benefit from it years later.
I’m proud of myself for being brave enough to do it and not listening to the nagging voice of self doubt which tried to hold me back.
Sharon McGuinness, a Provision Planning Officer for Lancashire Council, experienced just three weeks out of her comfort zone
in Lancashire when she participated in a professional exchange with Vigo, Spain in 2012. You can read her full diary on the EU LAG website. She applied after reading about the exchange
opportunities in a professional newsletter. Before going out there, Sharon says she found the idea "A little
daunting but only because of my concerns at relative lack of Spanish
language skills. At
3 weeks it was only a week longer than an average fortnight's holiday
though so I figured the potential adventure outweighed the risk of it
being really difficult or boring!" Having completed the exchange, she says that it taught her not better Spanish, but also self-reliance and confidence.
Get support where you can
Lucky girl Sharon found that her managers and colleagues were supportive. What is your working environment like? Can you investigate similar schemes and approach your boss about them? It's not possible for everyone, but perhaps an extended period of leave can help. Unpaid leave is worrying, but professional projects in particular are often well-funded.
Please follow my blog and check back on Friday, when I count down my Top 10 professional opportunities abroad. For the easiest way to check back, please subscribe to the Fluent Blog. You'll never receive spam and you'll never miss another article. Excellent, right?
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