Centuries ago, the practice of studying abroad was widely demonstrated commonly by the social elite. In those days, countries like England or France that maintained stronger economic structures provided a substantially higher quality of education, thus, bearing supreme educational opportunities for those of higher birth or wealth.
In the early 1920s, foreign study was integrated into the US college system but solely for the purpose of foreign language immersion. Today, the horizon of possibilities with regard to higher education has broadened, and more students have found that studying abroad has many additional benefits, whether they are choosing to focus their area of study on foreign language or something different.
Top Five Benefits to Studying Abroad
1. Language and Cultural Immersion
As mentioned previously, one of the main purposes for foreign study is language and cultural immersion. The popular theory that states the best way to learn a different language is to spend a lengthy amount of time in the surroundings of where that language is spoken rings true for students who arrive back from the study abroad experience. The possibility of broadening foreign language skills increases greatly when forced to communicate in such a way different from their own.
Secondly, students glean from their experiences of living under the confines of foreign culture, the sense of having a greater perspective of the world around them, to appreciate societal differences such as cuisine, language, social customs, economics, etc. They would not receive this type of cultural exposure in a familiar societal setting.
2. Increased Ability for Social Interaction
Under the duress of living in an environment where communicating with ease is no longer the reality, a student is forced to achieve a level of social maturity that he wouldn’t normally be able to reach domestically. When abroad and immersed in foreign culture, the student must go to