Has anybody been to one of these language schools in a country where your target language is spoken? Is such intensive learning plus immersion for a few weeks effective?
I have taken language school courses in 6 different languages, 8 different countries. Almost all of them were worth my time and money - my definition of effective. Some were really good, for example last year's 3 week Mandarin course in Taiwan, and some were surprisingly poor, for example last year's 4 week Russian course in Kiev. But even the bad experiences had useful sides, and being in country sometimes made up for shortcomings of the schools. I recommend giving it a try.
Interesting. Thanks for the reply. I'm afraid I've got a deluge of questions, as I am trying to evaluate what my next move should be in terms of trying to really take my Russian to the next level, and this is one potential option. Did you just participate in the group lessons, or did you take any private lessons on top of that? What makes the trip effective? What would you consider to be the minimum length of stay to be useful? What is a realistic expectation of the impact such a trip will have on one's language skills? Any tips for evaluating potential schools? What was the problem with poorer experiences was it just low quality teaching or something else? Is it a case of you get what you pay for, or are prices not a useful indicator?
For me, the advantage of a language class is that your (realistic) goals are set for you. I tried learning NT Greek on my own and just kind of overwhelmed myself. When taking a one a week class, there would be one chapter that I would work on making perfect all week, then I would come and pass the test with a sense of accomplishment. It's easy to keep motivated if the pace is realistic.
Sometimes I take group lessons, sometimes private lessons, sometimes a mixture. I think I know where this question is coming from - normally they advertise group lessons with the option of taking additional private lessons. But it doesn't have to be that way. Many schools will let you take private lessons without group lessons. I should really write a carefully though out post about this in the future. Unfortunately I'm sick now, so I'll mention a few things and promise to get back to this later. I'll assume you mean things other than the school/classes. Also, when I'm in-country I'm mostly there to improve my conversation, so the things that are most important to me are focused on that. A good homestay, like the kind I had in St Petersburg 2 years ago, can turn the trip from a bust into a success. Even better, meeting a gf/bf in the host country who wants to talk to you in L2 all the time. Maybe that's not an option for you, but you can probably meet language exchange partners regularly during your trip. Some more personal items - Being able to exercise regularly is a big plus. Convenient access to food, transport to school. Safe, comfortable, clean place to stay and study; Tv, internet access, etc. I've done as short as a week before, and found it useful. This question isn't specific enough to answer, but I'll just say that under the best conditions I think I can progress twice as quickly studying full time oversees as studying full time at home. Prices aren't a useful indicator. To me, good communication before I decide is crucial. I send out several emails ahead of time, and it's amazing how many of then get ignored or handled poorly. I usually end up comparing the two places with the best communication, and flip a coin. Poor experiences were all due to teaching. Everyone is different, and the way I like to be taught might be different from you, so I hesitate to bad-mouth any single school or teacher. But I will say that having a variety of teachers is my preferred option if it's a possibility.
