Which country would be best to study in, France or Germany?
I suppose I've got quite a vague question. I'm currently trying to think of ideas on how to spend my year abroad. I study French and beginners' German and I've decided that I'd like to spend a semester studying at a university in either France or Germany, and spend the rest of the year working in the country I haven't yet visited. However I'm not sure which country would be best to study in. Of course I've only been learning German for a year, so I'd like to spend the German part of my year abroad really improving my language ability. So would it be more beneficial for a beginner to study in a country where the language they're learning is spoken, or work in it? Would studying at a university give more exposure to the language and immerse you in it more than working? Also if anyone has any experience of studying in either France or Germany it'd be great to hear your experience :)
This question was asked by Georgina Higgs from The University of Nottingham , asked on 8th September 2015 and has been read 6868 times.
Answers (1)
Hey Georgina - personally, I think you're better off STUDYING in Germany. I read French and History, and spent my year abroad studying at L'Université de Savoie in Chambery, followed by an internship in Paris in the Summer. I feel had my French been basic I would have really struggled in the internship and not learnt a great deal - I suppose it depends on what kind of job you have, but if you are actually going to use your language skills in the workplace, you need to be at a fairly high level I think. At university you'll be able to take specialised grammar classes in German and meet more people your age (then you can take conversation at your own pace, and slowly build on your language skills & improve). I knew people of all levels of French at university, and all of them were able to improve from the experience. I think everyone will have different opinions on this one, but that's my view from my experience! Have fun :)
If you would like to contribute to this question, please login or register.