Gap year - Learn a language and live abroad

Taking a gap year with ESL means making time from your studies or work to spend from a few months to a year abroad, improving your language skills and exploring a new country. While it is a “gap” in your studies or career, it certainly won't be a missing space in your CV! You’ll return home with a new set of language skills and life experience that will help you for years to come. 

What is a Gap Year?

An ESL gap year, otherwise known as a sabbatical year, is a fully immersive language programme abroad. Rather than being restricted to a year, this programme can take place across any number of weeks, months or years depending on the time you have and where your studies take you.While this type of programme is often associated with the “gap” between graduation and employment, it can actually be adapted to a variety of situations, including a sabbatical break from work or school vacations. 

A language gap year is the biggest step that you can take in your language journey as it allows you to not just experience your host country, but to actually establish yourself and live the daily life of your new culture. 

Throughout your gap year, you’ll begin to adapt to your new surroundings and internalise your target language in a way that is practically impossible to achieve by studying in your own country. A language gap year represents your best opportunity to break through your personal learning barriers and become fluent.

When you’re not sure of your next steps in life, a gap year can be the perfect way for you to self-evaluate and feel inspired to choose your own path as you step out of your day-to-day life and gain new perspectives. Everyone dreams of taking time out of their normal life to work on themselves and their goals and, by nature, a gap year is fully customisable to your wants and needs.

Now could be the perfect time for you to experience a gap year for yourself, and ESL is here to help you create the programme that works for you!

How does it work?

The choice of how to spend your gap year can be overwhelming at first, which is why we recommend that you start your planning by speaking directly to our advisors in a free consultation call. During this call, we’ll get to know you and assess your goals, needs, and current situation to pair you with the destination that best suits you.

With over 200 ESL destinations across 16 languages, it’s important to answer the important questions when deciding which destination is right for your gap year – whether it’s one or even multiple destinations in a trip! Our team can guide you through all of the most important aspects of choosing your dream destination, including:

• Your personal need for the language, e.g. university or work.

• The time you have and the best way to spend it.

• The best season to travel, enjoy the weather and experience local events.

• The cost of living compared to your budget.

• Places to go and spots to visit near your host city (both inside and outside the country!).

• The visa requirements, allowances, and limitations of your host country.

• Opportunities to work where applicable.

Still unsure as to what type of Gap Year you’re looking for? Our team will help you compare the different options and ensure that your programme is tailor-made for you — from your ideal accommodation to your favourite activities. We understand you want to get the best return on investment possible from your trip, so we’ll advise you on the best ways to optimise your learning and return home with a higher language level than you could ever imagine!

Benefits of a Gap Year Programme

A gap year allows you to gain all of the benefits of a general language stay but accentuates them by allowing you to experience it at your own pace. As a language learner, time is your greatest ally – the longer you spend using, hearing, and immersing in your target language, the more you’ll progress. Over the course of a gap year you’ll acquire knowledge, have the time to digest it, and take it home with you, to continue using it throughout your life. 

In addition to the incredible language benefits, through your gap year with ESL you will also:

• Make more friends, more memories, and have more experiences than a general programme

• Have the possibility to extend your stay to continue your adventure to more countries, or even pursue a university degree and/or career in your host country 

• Find your second home either metaphorically (through making lifelong memories) or literally (by starting a new life in the city)

• Develop yourself and come back home as an entirely new person

Overall, a gap year is the best way to expand the horizons of both your personal and professional life and return home as a more well-rounded and qualified individual.

Why you should choose ESL for your year abroad 

A lot of planning goes into a language course, that’s why it’s important to choose the right company to help you navigate it! With more than 25 years of experience and a 97% recommendation rate from our customers, booking your year abroad with ESL means leaving your trip in the right hands. Here are just some of the ways we’ll help you have the journey of a lifetime: 

• You will have access to our portfolio of only the best language schools across the world, with guidance from our team as to which will best fit your goals.

• Our expert advisors will guide you through every single possibility of your trip – forget about browsing through endless options and comparing dozens of websites.

• Aside from your lessons, we’ll make sure you have every aspect of your gap year planned to perfection, from your accommodation to your trips and activities.

• We will be by your side every step of the way: before, during and after your gap year. 

• You’ll have access to exclusive discounts and offers to help you make the most of your travel budget.