Reading and Writing Petra, the Effects of Studying Abroad

 By Nate Feldman

Reading and Writing Petra, The Effects of Studying Abroad

 

1.       Every year, young people from around the world take advantage of the opportunity to study for a semester or year in another country.  Universities all over the world offer their students the chance to get credits while taking classes at another institution.  Although there are students that don’t do this, many get the positive effects of learning in another country.

 

      One positive effect of studying abroad is that students can see how life is really like in another country rather than just reading about it in a textbook.  They get on the ground experience.  For example, perhaps a student is studying about Latin American culture in classes they take in the United States.  They gain a lot of important knowledge through this.  However, nothing compares to being actually in Latin America and seeing what the day-to-day life is really like.  As a result, students who study abroad come back from their experience with a deeper understanding of the culture they spent time in.

 

3.       One possible benefit of studying abroad is improving your second language skills.  If you are studying a second language, the best place to practice it is a country where it is the native language.  For instance, if I want to become fluent in French, it’s best to be in a French speaking country where I can interact with local speakers on a daily basis.  Although you can practice with people who speak that language while you are in your own country, the knowledge you get while overseas is more.

 

4.       Studying abroad also gives young people a chance to form some level of independence for themselves.  For some young adults, this is the first time they have ever really lived away from their family for an extended period of time.  For the first time in their lives, they have to take care of themselves.  For instance, they need to learn to shop and cook their meals.  They need to clean up their rooms without being forced to.  They have to get to their classes without someone waking them up.  They learn to be able to depend on themselves more.

 

5.       For a long time, studying abroad has been a unique and beneficial experience for young people from around the world.  Whether they learn about a culture in more details, improve their skills at a language, or learn to take care of themselves better, it is a worthwhile experience for those who do it.

 

Vocabulary:

1.       When you take advantage of an opportunity, you A) waste your time   B) do something useful with the chance you have

 

2.       On the ground experience refers to A) experience you get being in a place   B) experience you get while lying down

 

3.       Day-to-day life refers to what people do A) sometimes   B) every day

 

4.       Something you do on a daily basis happens A) sometimes   B) every day

 

5.       When you form something, you A) create it   B) destroy it

 

6.       An extended period of time refers to A) a short period   B) a long period

 

7.       Something worthwhile is A) useful   B) a waste

 

Main ideas: Match the sentences with the paragraph they best fit into.

A.     Studying abroad helps you to take care of yourself more ___________________

 

B.      Students get better at a language when overseas ___________________

 

C.      Students who get the chance to study abroad benefit from it for many reasons __________________

 

D.     Students living in other countries see what it’s really like there ______________________

 

Describing tone.  What is the writer’s attitude towards studying abroad?  Is it in general negative or positive?  What tells you this?

 

For discussion:

*What are positive effects of studying abroad in your perspective?

*What are some negative effects of studying abroad?