Sh.Mahdavi: Language Learning Resources at Your Fingertips- Part 3

These are the other tips you can mention during your studies.

10. Visit a foreign language chat room

Visiting a foreign language chat room provides a more immediate opportunity to practice your language skills than a bulletin board, because a chat room engages speakers in synchronous or live communication.

There are free text chat and, increasingly, also voice chat sites available for language learners. Text chat rooms exist for learners and speakers of ESL, Spanish, Italian, French, German, Japanese, Thai, Cantonese, Arabic, and Persian, among others. There are voice chat rooms for Greek and Cambodian.

Some general language sites help you find chat partners and/or provide a venue for live communication. The Language Trade facilitates voice chat with a native speaker at no charge. UniLang Chatbox is a place you can meet others interested in languages, or where a prearranged online language encounter could be held.

11. Plan a trip

Plan a trip to a country or region where the language is spoken. Not only will you get the chance to practice your language skills, but you'll also get to experience the culture and customs first-hand, from simple human interactions to eating habits, from daily routines to architecture.

While traveling to a place where the native language is a dominant and official language allows you to surround yourself with the language and culture, you might be surprised to find immersion opportunities closer to home. If you're learning French and cannot plan a trip to Europe or Africa, you still might be able to travel to Quebec. If you're learning Persian and a trip to Iran is not feasible, try visiting Los Angeles County, where more than a million Persian-speakers reside. Are you learning Chinese, but can't afford a trip to China? Try visiting one of the many Chinatown quarters of large American cities, such as New York or San Francisco. Such large cities often have ethnic quarters where you can immerse yourself the language and the culture of the people who speak it.

12. Study abroad

The absolute best way to get to know a language and culture like a native speaker is to live like one. Studying abroad for a semester or, even better, for a year allows you to be fully immersed in the target cultural and linguistic environment. You can get to know the ins-and-outs of daily life, learn first-hand how to negotiate common situations (shopping, taking the bus, mailing a letter, ordering at a restaurant, etc.), and gain an insider's perspective on the educational system. There are a myriad of possibilities, from short-term or summer study to year-long programs. If a formal study program won't work for you, you might choose instead to work abroad in an internship or work program. See our career resources pages for tips and ideas.

There are many common myths about studying abroad, and many people believe that it's not an option for them. It's not as hard as you might think! Check out our study abroad pages for tips and information. Whatever your situation, there is a way you can make your dream of living and studying in another country a reality.