Home:
Work
And Study Abroad
Preparation: documentation/briefing handbooks/websites
The web is a useful source of information if you are preparing to away on a period of residence abroad and is useful for keeping in contact with your home university and country whilst you are away.
Before you go
Before you leave, use the web to research up to date information about the place in which you are going to live and work.
University study
If you are going to be following courses at a foreign university, find the university's web pages using links from your university or the Rapport web site (www.hum.port.ac.uk/slas/rapport). You could also search for a site using an English language search engine such as Altavista (www.altavista.com) or a foreign language engine, such as Excite (e.g. www.excite.fr and www.excite.de). Look for course details, general information about university life, the campus, leisure activities, clubs, accommodation, transport and so on. This will prove particularly useful, if the university you are planning on going to is not an exchange partner with your own and your tutors are unable to give you much help.
Language Assistant
If you are going to be a language assistant see if your school has web pages which tell you something about its location, your future students and what they are studying.
Work Placement
If you are going on a work placement, you may be able to find out something about the structure of the company, its sphere of activity and other employees.
Wherever you are going, you should also be able to find out something about the region on the web. Look out for maps, local newspapers and adverts, contact addresses, timetables, cinemas and night clubs. If you are travelling further afield than Western Europe, you might find web-based information patchy, but it will give you some insight into the country and culture you will be visiting. Don't forget whilst you are carrying out this research you are also improving your language skills since most of what you read will be in the target language.
Vicky Wright
University of Southampton
27/09/99