Discover 11 opportunities in English

When you want to learn a new language, there's no better way than to immerse yourself in that language's culture. If you have to use your new language for your everyday needs, for example in shops and restaurants, in dealing with paperwork, and for socialising, then you'll pick up language skills much more quickly than you would from casual use.

The value of overseas study is immeasurable, and a study abroad semester or degree enhances the educational experience. As such, we have recently been doing a blog post series highlighting reasons to study in Italy, Turkey, China, Spain and – now our next in line -  the United Kingdom! The UK is home to many of the world’s leading universities, and is a top international student destination for those who would like to improve their English and take advantage of the challenging and creative courses on offer around the UK.

Make the most of your summer break, and sign up for a summer school! You can learn new skills, visit a new place, and meet fellow students with similar interests to you. For those of you who are studying a language like English, summer schools can be especially helpful as they give you lots of opportunities to practise speaking with other learners and experts. If you're considering attending a summer school this year, now is the time to start looking for schools, and we're here to help with this list of the top 10 summer schools for English in 2016. Remember to apply early, as these schools will fill up fast! 

If you are planning to study in the UK, bear in mind that you will need to provide proof of your English language proficiency to get a visa. For this, you can choose one of the tests approved by UK Visas and Immigration.

If you are considering applying to a study program taught in English, whether in an English speaking country or elsewhere, you will almost certainly be required to send proof of English proficiency as part of your application. Moreover, if you are interested in applying to jobs that require English proficiency, having a language certificate will make your application process much smoother.