In this week’s Industry Voices, Alessia Rofi, Business Development Executive at The PIE News, tells us why English literature was a fundamental part of her language learning experience and why studying abroad and immersing yourself in a new country is the ideal way to improve linguistic skills.
About me
“My name is Alessia and I’m working at The Pie News. I’m actually from Italy, but I’ve been living in London for six months. I really love to learn new languages and I think it’s been quite easy for me because I enjoy it so much. For English the school where I went was really good… we studied English literature and always had to speak in English in class. This was important because in the beginning it can be difficult, but then you develop your language skills. I’ve also been spending summers abroad, and this is really helpful to become more fluent and to learn lots of new vocabulary.”
How studying abroad improves your language skills
“Yes, I totally think so because when you are abroad – let’s say you are in London, or in Dublin – you have to speak English when you go to the supermarket, or the bank, or go shopping. I find that you push yourself more than you do when you are in your own country. You meet different people and I think socialising is the best way of learning.”
Thinking about studying abroad?
“I would say do it. Don’t fear it. And have fun with it! I think you can make lots of friends and you can learn more about the country. I think people should definitely do it as it’s really a lot of fun, for every age and every background.”
Alessia chatted with IHWO at the IATEFL conference in Brighton, UK in April 2018.
