Page 49 iStudy Guide 2019/20
P. 49
iStudy
2019/20
49
Going to any event where the local language is spoken
can be useful, but there is always the risk that upon
realising that you are a native speaker, other event-
goers will suddenly want to test out their English on
you. The beauty of events designed for practising,
such as a language exchange events, is that everybody
knows you are there to try out different languages. This
is also a great way to maintain any other languages
that you might know (or take up a new one!) as the
events are usually very international.
Tip: Don’t worry about making mistakes! A great
thing about exchange events is that most people who
attend them know what it’s like to learn a language.
This means that everybody is generally very friendly
and willing to help one another, and there’s no
pressure to be perfect.
LANGUAGE EXCHANGE EVENTS
I studied German Philology at the University of
Vienna, and as the course was taught in German,
I was exposed to a lot of new vocabulary and a far
more academic style than I was used to. This isn’t only
a tip for people who can already speak the language
however, as many universities do offer these courses
in English. These may not teach you words or
grammar, but learning about the history and culture
of a place puts the language into context and helps
you to gain a better appreciation for it.
Tip: If you are studying in your target language, look
to see if any of your university’s courses can explicitly
help you to understand it. I took a course called
‘German in Austria’ and although sometimes difficult
to follow, it gave me an insight into the Austrian
dialects and accents that I kept coming across.
UNIVERSITY CONTENT MODULES
2019/20
49
Going to any event where the local language is spoken
can be useful, but there is always the risk that upon
realising that you are a native speaker, other event-
goers will suddenly want to test out their English on
you. The beauty of events designed for practising,
such as a language exchange events, is that everybody
knows you are there to try out different languages. This
is also a great way to maintain any other languages
that you might know (or take up a new one!) as the
events are usually very international.
Tip: Don’t worry about making mistakes! A great
thing about exchange events is that most people who
attend them know what it’s like to learn a language.
This means that everybody is generally very friendly
and willing to help one another, and there’s no
pressure to be perfect.
LANGUAGE EXCHANGE EVENTS
I studied German Philology at the University of
Vienna, and as the course was taught in German,
I was exposed to a lot of new vocabulary and a far
more academic style than I was used to. This isn’t only
a tip for people who can already speak the language
however, as many universities do offer these courses
in English. These may not teach you words or
grammar, but learning about the history and culture
of a place puts the language into context and helps
you to gain a better appreciation for it.
Tip: If you are studying in your target language, look
to see if any of your university’s courses can explicitly
help you to understand it. I took a course called
‘German in Austria’ and although sometimes difficult
to follow, it gave me an insight into the Austrian
dialects and accents that I kept coming across.
UNIVERSITY CONTENT MODULES
