Becoming an au pair is a fantastic way to learn a foreign language. Living with a host family abroad and fully immersing yourself in a new culture can significantly boost your skills. But everyone learns at their own pace, and mastering a language can be a real challenge. Here are our game-changing strategies to speed up the journey.
1. Practise before going abroad
If you want to prepare well, kickstart your language journey before you even move abroad. Don’t worry — you don’t need to study for hours each day. A simple, enjoyable option is to find an online friend to practise with. You’ll get used to speaking a foreign language before you meet your host family, which reduces stress and anxiety before the trip. If you’re not sure where to find a partner, take a look at our Language Exchange program.
2. Use double subtitles
Learning is more enjoyable when you combine it with something you love — and what’s better than series and movies? Whatever your favourite genre, pick a good title originally filmed in the language you’re learning and use it as a practice tool. If you’re not yet advanced enough to follow by listening alone, install a plug-in that shows double subtitles.
3. Read online in a foreign language
Reading is a well-known way to improve your language skills. Have you tried it before and struggled? We understand — following a complex plot in another language can be demanding and slow, especially if you’re constantly looking up words. The fix: start with short online texts.