Is it worth sending my child abroad for a year? Vale la pena enviar a mi hijo al extranjero por un año?

Muchos padres se preguntan si vale la pena el coste de un año académico en el extranjero para mejorar su inglés u otro idioma extranjero.
A continuación os explico las ventajas e inconvenientes justo en el momento cuando mi hijo va a pasar un año académico en Inglaterra.

Many parents wonder if it's worth the cost to send their children abroad for a year to improve their language level. In this posst, I'll explain the pros and cons to help you make up your mind.

For children who are already bilingual English speakers with a native-speaker parent. 
In Marc's case, he's already a bilingual native English- Catalan speaker, and the aim is three-fold:
1) Consolidate his English knowledge and push it even further by studying all the subjects in English in an English school.
2) Get a deeper knowledge of his father's culture and that of his relatives in England.
3) Get a feeling of independence and  experience living in another country and meeting people from different countries. He'll also get to spend time with his grandmother and his cousins' family.

There is often a difference in the level obtained by children being raised in English or other languages by a minority language parent. If the child hasn't obtained a mastery of the language, then point 1 above is going to be just as important as point 2, and could be a turning-point in  the child's language mastery.

For children of non-native parents

The main objective is going to be point 1 above, and there is no better substitute to living and studying abroad to greatly improve a child's language level.
It should be taken into account that a minimum level is required to avoid frustration, and that should be  First Certificate B2.2. Anything above this level is much better for the experience to be more enjoyable and satisfactory.

Getting the child to a C1 Advanced level before sending them abroad should be a motivator for both the child and the parents.

The other points will also apply. Experiencing a new culture first-hand and becoming independent for a year are priceless and will have a lasting effect on them.

I'd defintely recommend the full year so that the child can get the feeling of becoming part of the school community and the language development is obviously going to be greater.

 If you're not sure if your child would do a full year, a single term might be a change to try it out, and is better than nothing.

En resumen, un año fuera no tiene precio a la hora de mejorar su nivel de inglés, pero, es siempre mejor tener un nivel C1 Advanced ó más antes de irse para poder aprovechar de la experiencia y así evitar frustraciones. Sin recomendaría un año escolar por encima de un trimestre para que se note mejor la diferencia de nivel. Además, el niño tiene la oportunidad de sentirse parte de la comunidad de la escuela. Un trimestre podría ser como una prueba. Si va bien, pues, la próxima vez podría hacer todo el año. Aunque, si el niño realmente no quiere pasar tanto tiempo fuera, es mejor no obligarle.

So, the million dollar question is; is it worth the cost? We''re talking about a boarding school in the UK here. If you can afford it, it's really a no-brainer. Hopefully, the child will also agree!!

There are cheaper options, which I'll discuss in a future blog.