Study Abroad Blog

Study French and Painting in Aix-en-Provence

Our Study French and Painting program in Aix-en-Provence, France is a unique and once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.  Not only is France the home of some of history's greatest Master and Impressionist painters, but the region of Provence has long served as an inspiration to painters worldwide.  Its fields of lavender, cypress trees, and green hills and dusty roads have a charm that no other place in the world possesses.

Top 6 Ways to Stay in Touch During Study Abroad

Before you study abroad, take the time to figure out how you will keep in touch with friends and relatives back home, and in your host country as well. If your cell phone and cell phone carrier offer international service to your host country for reasonable rates, great! But if not, don’t despair. There are options out there! 

1. Cell phone: A great option is the Mobal GSM World Phone. They are fairly inexpensive to buy, require no contract, you pay only when you use them, you keep the same phone number whenever you travel, and work in 150 countries worldwide. Read an article about this great phone here: Keeping In Touch While Studying Abroad

2. Phone card: AmeriSpan has an international phone card with special low rates, access to over 150 countries, and your friends and family can even messages for you. 

3. International country codes: Participants & their families should know how to dial internationally. Country Calling Codes is a website that includes all country calling codes, and instructions. 

Top 5 Reasons to Volunteer in India

 1. Variety, variety, variety. Experience medical projects in small clinics of Jaipur, orphanages and day care centers, women empowerment programs teaching sewing and computers to adolescents and housewives, domestic violence shelters, environment projects working with sea turtles on the beautiful beaches of Goa or volunteer at a school for children of local fisherman families. You name it, India’s volunteer program has something for everyone; challenge yourself in one of our amazing projects while making an impact. 

2. Visit a country with little language barrier. English, while it’s not India’s official language, is widely spoken and written on many street signs, restaurant menus, etc. This makes for an easy adjustment into a new, very different culture. Where English is not widely spoken, like in the volunteer project sites, you have the opportunity gain experience teaching ESL, which helps locals become more valuable in India’s job market. It also gives you some teaching experience to add to your resume.  

Study Abroad with the Kindle International

We already love the Kindle for study abroad: It reduces weight and bulk in your luggage, alleviates the need to select which one or two books to bring, and even has guidebooks, phrasebooks, and maps available. Oh, and you can even bring AmeriSpan’s helpful, free e-reports on your study abroad trip too! Now, they’ve taken the next step by introducing the latest Kindle, this one with international capabilities. It can now download new material wirelessly in over 100 countries around the world.

Learn Spanish & French with At-Home Immersion

Can't take the time to study abroad right now? Try some at-home language immersion with Think Language. Think Language has designed an online magazine and community for learning Spanish and French. Designed to increase fluency while learning about life and culture abroad, Think Spanish and Think French deliver ten engaging articles each month focused on fluency and grammar. Each article has an accompanying audio file that can be saved to your iPod or to a CD. In addition, each month you receive lessons, quizzes, vocabulary flashcards and more. 

In this era of the "stay-cation," at-home immersion can be a great way to get a head start on learning Spanish or French without having to travel abroad to do it!

Free Spanish Learning Resources

If you read our blog often, you know that AmeriSpan recommends doing some language study prior to studying abroad. This can help you with cultural adjustment as soon as you arrive in your new country, and alleviate concerns about getting around and basic needs until you get settled into your study abroad program. If Spanish is your target language, it is worth your while to take a minute to download the Free Spanish Learning Pack from Bilingual America.

Language Immersion Tips for Study Abroad

Whether you know ZERO vocabulary or you are an advanced speaker in your target language, a little preparation can help you get the most out of your immersion program. These are some pointers from AmeriSpan Study Abroad’s experienced staff members about expectations, goals, ways to build your vocabulary, and tips on how to get by if you suddenly forget every word you learned in your new language. For more tips and preparation, download our newest e-report, Pre-Departure Guide.

Pre-Departure Guide for Study Abroad

If you are preparing to study abroad, you know how overwhelming it can seem. AmeriSpan has compiled a very useful reference, our Pre-Departure Guide. Download this free e-report for an extremely handy checklist of everything you need to do to be prepared for your trip.

The Pre-Departure Guide is conveniently sectioned off into steps. Each step covers a different aspect of preparation, from what documents you need and how to get them, to planning about how you will keep in touch once you are overseas, to packing, and even how to stay healthy. Then, we give you cultural tips for different areas of the world, and tips for language immersion.

Helpful links are included to streamline your search and save you time. Download the Pre-Departure Guide and get ready to study abroad!

Student Discount Cards for Study Abroad

Student travelers between the ages of 12 and 26 are eligible for student identity discount cards. There are two types of cards, the ISIC and ISEC.

The ISIC, or "International Student Identity Card," offers discounts on airfare, hotels, tours, dining, shopping, and lots more. ISIC claims over 33,000 discounts available worldwide. Major stores such as Target and Apple offer discounts through ISIC, and discounts also can be found on basic sickness and accident travel insurance for international trips. There is also a 24-hour helpline offered through ISIC, great to have access to in case of emergency while abroad. Costing $22 per year, the ISIC card is well worth it to most student travelers.

Great Guidebooks for Study Abroad

If you've been to Border's or Barnes & Noble lately, and happened to cruise through the Travel section, it's hard not to be overwhelmed by the humongous selection of travel guides. We recommend Lonely Planet guidebooks for several reasons.

Keeping in Touch While Studying Abroad

One of the more complicated aspects of studying abroad can be staying in touch with those back home, as well as communicating over the phone in your host country. Especially in these days of technology, when everybody has a cell phone on them at all times, it can be disconcerting to not have one when you are in your host country.