Studying abroad is in the first place an excellent opportunity to strengthen one’s cultural background and broaden one’s world outlook.
With the rich variety of programs, students are able to explore the world on their own, complementing knowledge they gathered from textbooks with sizzling first-hand experiences. I am interested in studying abroad mainly because I want to come in contact with people from other cultures, improving my cross-cultural communication skills. This improvement can come with increase in my awareness of other cultures and language skills.With this focus in mind, I would prefer to go to Europe as I believe there is a greater likelihood that in the future my professional assignments will put me in contact with people living on this continent.
Transatlantic ties will, in my view, grow in importance over the next few decades, and those who learn one or more European languages in addition to English and get a better understanding of the region’s cultural diversity will be better positioned to take advantage of this trend.Personally, I would prefer to go to France or Spain as I am interested in the culture and history of those nations and attracted by the melodious flow of their languages. I believe a program at Barcelona or Madrid offered by the International Studies Abroad Inc. or Alliance Francaise in Marseille or Alliance Francaise in Paris. I understand that I would need to learn the language first at least the basic level, however, this effort seems well worth the enjoyment of the trip.
Travelling overseas, although less intriguing than studying is another good option to improve cross-cultural skills and raise proficiency in languages. I would most probably like to do extensive travel getting to all the continents to see and compare how people live in different areas, what their daily concerns are etc. I believe that getting outside of one’s home country is a truly revealing experience helping one to better understand one’s own cultural background.
