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Dega Westerhoff-Mason is a Senior at the University of Oregon where he is majoring in Philosophy and Romance Languages. He is an expert speaker of English and French and is learning Spanish. He has studied abroad in Lille, Querétaro, and Lyon. After graduation, Dega plans to pursue graduate studies in political philosophy.

My name is Dega, and I am a self-proclaimed professional exchange student. As a result, I have attended more study abroad informational sessions than I wish to remember, and I find that the one theme that is truly inexhaustible in study abroad is the role of a new language. It is both the most immediate reminder of where you are and your otherness, and in the future, it will serve as an emblem of your time abroad and proof that it really did happen. This does not mean that learning the new language is easy. Instead, it requires courage to grow yourself beyond what you have known. Here is list of five things that have helped me in this difficult yet rewarding process.

1- Get personal with your new language. You are not a blank slate when you leave to go abroad, you have preferences, desires, and passions that come with you, so let your host language become a part of those things. If you enjoy watching movies, writing poetry, discussing politics, etc., try it in your new language; let it become a part of you.

2- Build meaningful relationships in your host language. Communicating with people whom you care about is the best way to keep or create a connection to the language. Also, when you return from your time abroad, these people will help you continue with the language.

3- Recognize your language level. Be aware of where you are with the language. This means not only congratulating yourself for real progress, but also not setting unrealistic expectations and goals, because that will only leave you feeling inadequate and blind to other impressive accomplishments.

4- There is no one moment when you become fluent. Don't wait for some magical day where you are fluent, because you are going to keep changing your definition of fluency, so it will be more like an ever-changing horizon. Trust yourself and know that you will learn the language, but keep making an effort, even if you do not see your own progress.

5- Have fun. Languages are not set in stone, and neither are you. Never be afraid to play with language, and let yourself have fun in the process, because this is when you will learn the most.