Kilometers of dream beaches as far as the eye can see. A 47,000 kilometer long coastline. The breathtaking Great Barrier Reef - the most diverse habitat on our entire planet. More than 700 species of eucalyptus. 130 species of marsupials. And 165 species of snake. Vibrant cities. Tropical rainforests. More than 25 million hectares of national parks. Whales. The Northern Territory with the world-famous Uluru (Ayers Rock). 5 climate zones. 20 million inhabitants. Freedom. Adventure. Uniqueness. That is Australia.
If you want to experience an incredible time away from the stress, hectic pace and worries of everyday life and significantly improve your English skills, a language study trip to Australia is definitely the perfect choice. Whether you need English for your everyday work, want to prepare for university, finally want to take some time out, perhaps even a sabbatical, want to brush up your English skills for a new job or simply want to learn English really well in a country that has fascinated you for a long time, language schools in Australia offer a wide range of language courses for all ages and interests.
You should start your language study trip to Australia with extensive preparation. And that's a good thing, because it gives you the opportunity to get to grips with the diversity and all the possibilities that this continent and your future language study trip will offer you. But one thing should be said in advance: it won't be easy for you! Planning should be the least of your problems. It will certainly be much more difficult for you to decide. Deciding on a place, an itinerary, a school, a language course, accommodation and a realistic duration. After all, how can you decide when there is so much to see, so much to experience?
So let's start from the beginning and think about why you want to take this trip in the first place. Why a language study trip to Australia? Do you mainly want to learn English as intensively as possible? Or do you want to travel afterwards, during or right at the beginning of your stay and explore the country, its people and its beautiful nature? Would you like to combine learning English with a surfing course? Or take a Cambridge language diploma? What are your priorities? What is the first thing that comes to mind when you think about your future language study trip to Australia?
Hardly anyone has unlimited time for their language study trip to Australia. A pity, really. But since you are probably not one of the lucky ones who can just hop on a plane and spend as much time as you like on an English course in Australia and then explore the continent, this factor will probably limit you too and you will have to commit to a stay of a few weeks or months.
But how long should you stay? Clearly - as long as possible. Of course, you will learn more in 8 weeks than in 2 weeks, and more in 6 months than in 2. In principle, standard language courses can usually be booked for 1-2 weeks or longer, but it is not worth flying to the other side of the world for such a short period of time. By the time you have settled in and acclimatized, you will already be on the plane back to Switzerland and have seen absolutely nothing of the 5th continent. A minimum of four weeks should therefore apply to your language study trip to Australia, ideally 6 to 12 weeks to reach a new language level and also have a little time to get to know the country better on weekend excursions. You should plan at least 12 weeks if you want to make great progress and be able to communicate really well in English.
You can usually extend the duration of your language course by a few weeks on site, provided the courses are not already fully booked and you would like to extend your stay.
However, it is always important to clarify the maximum length of time you can and may stay in Australia. This must be discussed in detail with your employer in advance. Can you take your entire annual leave in one go and the rest of the time as unpaid leave? How long can he do without you? And will you suffer any disadvantages as a result, such as the loss of orders or customers?
You should also discuss with your line manager whether a language course in Australia can be financially supported by the company. Is there a possibility of a subsidy for the language course? Or will the company cover any examination costs? Especially if your employer can benefit from your newly acquired language skills, it is very possible that they will contribute financially to an English course, although certainly not to your entire language trip.
If you would like to take a language course in Australia for professional reasons, many language schools have excellent courses on offer. These include language courses in Business English, as well as Advanced Business courses, but also Business English courses for specific professional groups, such as Hotel & Tourism or Media & Art, for lawyers (Legal English) or HR. Enquire about the individual language courses on offer for your professional group and benefit from tailor-made business courses during your language study trip to Australia.
Prepare for language diplomas (H2 title)
It is also possible to prepare for internationally recognized language diplomas during a language trip and thus clearly prove your acquired language skills. If you are not afraid to study English a little more intensively in order to prepare specifically for the language exam, then a preparatory language course, for example for the Cambridge language diplomas, could be ideal for you. With this type of course, you can expect around 25 to 32 language lessons per week and should be able to invest at least 10 weeks.
Language courses for all needs (H2 titles)
Or perhaps you have no reason to learn English for your day-to-day work and don't want to prepare for any language exams, but simply want to learn English because you feel like it. This is of course wonderful and the ideal prerequisite for you to actually achieve linguistic success. But which course should you choose so that your language study trip to Australia is exactly what you want it to be?
Choose a language course that represents the ideal combination of language learning and leisure for you. This can be different for each person, depending on their individual needs. If you want to have plenty of free time and brush up on your English skills at the same time, a vacation course with 15 lessons per week may be ideal for you, as may a standard language course with 15 to 20 lessons per week. With these options, you will also have enough time to learn to surf, take a diving course, go on excursions or simply enjoy life alongside your English course. Every afternoon and all weekend long, as these language courses only take place in the mornings. But would you prefer to sleep in and attend a language course in the afternoon? This is not a problem at some language schools, but it is not the rule.
However, if you want to learn a little more than just half a day during your language study trip to Australia, you can opt for intensive courses. These enable faster learning success with 20 to 30 weekly lessons and still leave enough time to enjoy your stay. Semi-intensive courses are also available from time to time.
It is not only business language courses that are tailored to a specific professional group, language courses aimed at specific age groups are also being offered more and more frequently. Topics of conversation for 50-year-olds and 18-year-olds can sometimes differ considerably, as can interests and leisure activities. This is why more and more schools are offering English courses for 50+, 55+ or 60+, which differ from conventional language courses in many ways. This usually means small class sizes, age-specific learning topics, a smaller number of weekly lessons, upscale accommodation and a varied, organized leisure programme that is not limited to beach parties and surfing, but also includes visits to markets, cooking classes, wine tours, sightseeing and boat trips.
Many language travel agencies also offer language courses in Australia for the 30+ target group. Work and travel programs that combine language courses with internships, volunteer work, demi pairs, farm stays or similar are also very popular and open up new horizons.
As soon as you have decided on a type of language course, you will certainly start looking for suitable offers and obtain all the necessary documents here at Ausbildung-Weiterbildung.ch, for example. This is exactly the right way to go, but there is one more thing you should bear in mind when choosing a suitable school. It makes sense not only to compare prices, but also to take a close look at what you get in return. For example, 20 lessons per week at one language school may mean that you receive 20 x 60-minute lessons, while at another you only receive 20 x 45 minutes. This may not seem like a lot at first glance, but extrapolated it is. For a language study trip to Australia with four lessons per day, this already amounts to a difference of 1 hour per day and therefore 5 hours per week. For an eight-week language course, this means that you will learn more or less for 40 hours. And you can learn a lot in 40 hours. So make sure you pay attention to this "detail".
Once you have decided on a language course, it's time to decide on a destination and a language school. Perhaps you already know in which city in Australia you would like to take a language course. In this case, you are a big step ahead of many people interested in languages. After all, it is certainly not easy to decide on just one place where you would like to spend your language study trip in Australia. There are far too many fantastic possibilities. There are far too many exciting cities, relaxed small towns and interesting places to explore. Whether it's the metropolis of Sydney, the surfer's paradise of Byron Bay, tropical Cairns or the largest city in Western Australia - Perth, who finds it easy to decide on just one destination?
But do you even have to? Of course not! Why should you? Why not simply choose two or even three language schools in different locations for a longer stay and take a language course there?
Take some time between the various language courses during your language study trip in Australia and travel around the country. This way you can perfectly combine vacation and English learning, apply what you've learned in the first language course directly on your trip and start a second language course in another great place, motivated and relaxed. The journey is the reward!
To enter Australia, you need a visa unless you are an Australian or New Zealander. Accordingly, you probably also need a visa for your language study trip to Australia. Different visas are possible depending on the duration. For language trips of up to 12 weeks, you can apply for an eVisior visa, which allows you to enter Australia as often as you like within 12 months, but only for a maximum of 3 months in the country at a time. The visa can be applied for online. Alternatively, the Tourist Stream - Visitor Visa (Subclass 600) is available for longer stays. This can be applied for a duration of up to 12 months. For all applications, please note that processing may take a little while (up to 4 weeks) and you should therefore submit them early.
Linda, deine Weiterbildungsfinderin