IF one comes from Valencia, Spain, one can definitely be enticed to learn English abroad. Valencia will definitely be surrounded with large chunks of English-speaking tourists who will be here once the Valencian Grand Prix of the 2008 Formula One leg gets underway come August 23 to 24, 2008 and when the America’s Cup will pay courtesy on its port come 2009. But that’s just one example. There are lots of reasons why people in Spain will love to learn the English language. If you are a travel agency owner or even just a travel agent, learning British English is obviously a must here in Spain because the bulk of tourists here in Spain are British. The same is true for hotel staff here. Yet there are a lot of reasons why studying English is cool.

First, English is the official language in aviation. Second, it is the language used by the some of the most powerful countries in the world – the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia. But studying English in these three countries are not entirely similar experiences at all. There’s a big difference between American English and British English – the accent…that is, if one doesn’t come from New England.

And although both British English and Australian English use the non-rhotic accent, the latter one is more pronounced. In fact, a British actor can never qualify to play an Australian role because he would sound very, very awkward. And then there’s the question of culture differences between these three countries. In the United States, people drive on the right side of the road while in the United Kingdom and Australia, they drive on the left. If one is coming from Spain, it is a far more challenge if he studies English in the United States rather than in England. Although England is not part of the European mainland, the European culture is still prevalent as compared to a more daring culture in the United States. Considering that it is located on another continent at the other side of the Atlantic, the United States can be conceived as a more adventurous place. So if you are the type who easily gets homesick, then better enroll in an English language school in England.

An English language school in England is exciting. One will be grouped with other foreign students in a class of 15 or so. So it’s no surprising that one will be classmates with students of both sexes from Portugal, Germany, the Czech Republic, Morocco, the Middle East, Hong Kong, Japan, Iceland, Peru, Mexico, Chile or Israel. This unique environment doesn’t just allow you to learn English but also allows you to interact joyfully with nationalities of such diverse countries. After sessions of the day are over (they usually end at about 3 p.m.), you can pool yourselves together and do some group studies. Or you may wander off in malls, museums, the London Eye or other places of interest in England, try to catch snippets of conversations here and there and try to understand what the people are saying. These exercises not only enhance the student’s ability to acquire the second language but also develop the person’s holistic characteristics – like cultural tolerance, hospitality, camaraderie and unity.