In addition to the language component, the main focus for me was getting to know other classmates. It was also important for me to be "confronted" with the English language the whole time, to have to speak it and to learn and expand my vocabulary by listening to conversations or watching TV. A great side effect is that you can see the surroundings and get to know the country and the culture.
America - The Big Apple: New York
My language study trip was in July 2012 and lasted a total of 2 weeks.
I was very satisfied with my language study trip to the USA. Everything was very well organized and I felt well looked after straight away. What I particularly liked was the location of the language school and the accommodation in the middle of New York. I was accommodated in a student residence in the middle of downtown (8th Ave. 36th St.) and the language school was right on Time Square. Every day I walked past Broadway with my pre-purchased "coffee to go" and was a small part of this big city with the others who walked to work. There were also various activities on offer during the week and at the weekend, ranging from a visit to the pub or a baseball game to city trips, such as Washington in my case.
I need English very often at work and the language course has made me much more confident in speaking. In a very short time, I lost the inhibition to speak freely and was able to expand my vocabulary enormously. Whether in written correspondence or small talk, I still benefit from it today.
I deliberately traveled alone back then, which I had a lot of respect for and a queasy feeling about at the beginning - after all, it was my first language study trip. Once I arrived in New York, however, this quickly disappeared and you get to know new people very quickly. I myself lived in a student residence, which was the ideal solution for me. You had direct contact with other students and could meet up before or after school without too much effort and in a relaxed atmosphere.
The provider was Sprachdirekt GmbH, Munich.
I was very satisfied with the provider. You had a direct contact person and it was always pointed out that you could always call on site.