The Secret to Perfecting a Language

Hey everyone – welcome to my blog!


I’m a 3rd year International Business with Marketing and Spanish student at the University of Strathclyde. A vital part of learning languages is to immerse yourself in the culture and language and this is why I decided to au pair in Madrid last summer. In this blog I will give you advice and recommendations about the au pairing process, where to go, stories from my experience in Madrid and much more.

Background

In summer 2018, I went to Madrid for 2 months to work as an au pair. My best friend (who also studies languages) and I decided to do this at the same time so that we could explore the city together during our time off work in the evenings and weekends – it turned out to be the best decision.
Everyone’s au pairing experience is unique. I did encounter quite a few minor (and major) problems during my trip, which I will delve into later, but overall I really enjoyed it.

What is au pairing?

An au pair is someone who moves abroad to live with a native family in order to learn/develop their language skills in exchange for looking after the children. You get paid to do this and are provided with accommodation and usually also food. The prime time for au pairing is during the school summer holidays when parents are still working but need affordable childcare. 

Why au pair?

It is the perfect way to learn languages without feeling like it’s a chore. You get to live in a brand new city and have fun whilst being exposed to native speakers of the language that you are learning. It might not seem like much at first because your ears aren’t tuned into the new language but once you settle down, it becomes a breeze.

I know it’s cliché but do try to speak/have a conversation in your target language – even if you are embarrassed! Trust me, people really don’t care. Try doing it with people that you’ll never see again e.g. a waiter in a restaurant or a shop assistant. If you’re embarrassed speaking with teens/adults, then au pairing is a great opportunity as you can practice with younger children. You also get to learn every day phrases that you don’t learn in a classroom.


If you're interested in au pairing in the future, feel free to comment any questions below or contact me via the contact form on the side bar! 

Comments

  1. Unknown10 October 2019 at 18:47

    Thanks for sharing.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Kelly16 October 2019 at 23:17

      Thank you! I hope you enjoy reading upcoming my posts :)

      Delete
  2. Byron16 October 2019 at 02:10

    Looking forward to hearing all the stories!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Kelly16 October 2019 at 23:18

      Thanks Byron! Just you wait to see what content I've got planned 🤭

      Delete

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