I finished my engineering master degree last summer and I started working online in something completely different from my studies. I’m from Algeria and I saw a travel agency suggesting a program, a language stay in New York for 15days, they take care of everything for around 1500$. I really want to visit New York, I know staying there will be expensive or maybe not suitable for everyone but I want to hear about your opinion on people who did this or if you have any tips or alternatives, I’m open for everything !
Comments
It would be a lot of fun and a great cultural experience but you probably won’t learn as much English as you hope to.
Also I would advise at least a little caution in traveling to the US right now
“Worth it” is determined by personal values and expectations.
New York is one of the most expensive cities in the world.
When they say “take care of everything”, what’s actually included? Very few of us are familiar with what Algerian travel agencies market to their customers.
You’re not going to learn much language in 15 days, but if you have an opportunity to come to NYC for 2 weeks for $1500 including your lodging, you definitely should just for the experience alone.
When they say they take care of everything, do they include housing?
If so, at that price, that will be the absolute WORST housing you can imagine. Maybe even worse than your imagination.
I’m not sure if this is the same thing, but I did a residential language-immersion course for Dutch. I knew a fair amount of the language already, but struggled with conversations. I came out fluent, so it was definitely worth it.
And then the whole reason for learning Dutch in the first place fell apaet, and without using the language, I quickly lost that fluency.
I don’t know how much you’d learn in 15 days, but it seems like you already speak English pretty well based on your writing, so it could be beneficial to speak to native speakers. As long as you go in with reasonable expectations, it seems fine. That said, $1500 seems sufficiently cheap that I’d be worried about it being some kind scam. Does this include airfare? Lodging? I’d expect a hotel to be at least $100 a night, how are they paying teachers on top of that?
I have not done this exactly, but I have studied abroad. Depending on the details of what’s covered by your program, this can be a great way to visit a place for a more reasonable amount and have some organized events and meet new people.
I did a summer dance program in NYC in my college years and stayed in a boarding house with some language program folks. It seemed like they had a good time and made a lot of friends. Do your due diligence researching the specific program you’re looking at, though.
That’s not a bad price
When I was in college I took a summer French course at the Sorbonne in Paris. It was one of the best things I’ve ever done. The beginning of many travels around the world. I’ve also spent time in NY. My only suggestion would be to try to spend more time if possible. But even 2 weeks there is likely to be an experience you never forget. My only other suggestion would be to do as much verification of who is offering this program, and the experiences of others who’ve done it. At that price the accommodations and location could be sketchy.