Staying in Touch
Cell Phones
Your cell phone may not work abroad or you might incur high roaming charges. To use your regular phone, call your provider if you want to get an international plan, and be sure to check the rates of your destination country.
If you opt not to get an international plan, keep your phone on airplane mode and connect to WiFi when possible instead of using data. Download WhatsApp, Skype, Viber (for free calling), or use iMessage and FaceTime to connect with family and friends. If you have a Gmail account, set up Google Voice to call/text family member for free while abroad; registering in the United States is free, while registering abroad is not.
For longer-term programs, consider buying a SIM card that you can put in your phone and top up (add money to) as needed. You can also buy a cheap phone abroad that you can pay by the minute. It’s also not a bad idea to bring an external battery for use while traveling. Some recommended apps for your phone are:
- Uber/Lyft
- Google Translate
- Google Maps – can download maps offline
- XE – currency converter
- Transit – navigate public transportation in real-time in major cities around the world
Language Abroad
Whether you are in a non-English-speaking country, or even in an English-speaking one, you may feel like you have a good command of the formal language, but may feel overwhelmed due to the regional dialect, popular slang, or the accent. Check out these tips from former W&M students on how to improve your language skills while abroad.
To get accustomed to the language before you depart:
- Listen to the radio online or podcasts from your host country
- Watch foreign films (ones that are not dubbed in English) in the target language
- Listen to music recorded in the foreign language and try to understand it not only for its words, but also for its meaning; being familiar with popular music and musicians from your host country will give you something to talk about with new friends
- If available, go to a local market where they speak your target language and start a conversation about the prices of meat or quality of the produce
To adjust to language after you arrive in the host country or as you travel:
- Challenge yourself to interact with locals in the host language at least one a day: buy something at the market, get a cup of coffee, ask for directions, etc.
- Keep a small notebook and put new words you learn or don’t understand in it so you can look them up later; this will become your own personal dictionary.
- Buy a local paper or magazine and try to read as much as you can; words you do not know, add to your personal dictionary.
- Go to a café or other public area by yourself and notice people’s body language and their spoken word; do they shrug? Talk with their hands? What are the cultural norms when two people are speaking to each other?
- Set aside one day a week as a “no English day” where you only speak in the native language
- Academic language is different from popular language; read a book in the native language that you are already familiar with, such as Harry Potter or even children’s books, to get familiarized with less formal language.
These experiences will be great to write and/or talk about when applying for graduate school or interviewing for internships and post-graduation jobs.