English has been one of the most spoken languages in the world for years. According to the language learning app “Babbel”, 1.13 billion people spoke English as their native or second language, in 2019. In other words, you can communicate with roughly 15 percent of all people in the world if you speak English. While it might be your dream to learn English by studying in the U.S., it is useful to obtain a good level of English beforehand, for several reasons.
Firstly, it will make your time management and overall life so much easier if you already speak a decent level of English. As soon as your college career starts, your schedule will be busy with practicing, traveling, going to class, and studying. Imagine having all those responsibilities plus the hustle of catching up with your English skills. You will be faced with extra pressure and less energy for the things you are there for – successfully studying and playing your sport.
Furthermore, your experience abroad will greatly be shaped by the people you meet along the way and the relationships you build with them. You might have teammates and/or classmates who speak your native language, but you cannot count on that. In addition, it would limit your friendships to a handful of people. However, if you speak English, you have the chance to get to know people from other countries besides your own and get to know diverse cultures more closely. Therefore, your overall experience will be more enjoyable and exciting if you can communicate well in English.
Lastly, being able to speak English well will help you tremendously in your classes. The more you understand and participate, the better your grades will be, especially when writing essays or giving presentations. Ultimately, better grades mean the possibility of getting academic scholarships and recognition for your achievements as a STUDENT-athlete.
Now you might wonder, what a “good” level of English is. When I moved to the U.S., I considered my English literacy as “good”. I was able to use most grammar structures and tenses – not perfectly – but I had a basic understanding about when they are used in theory. Additionally, I had acquired a well-developed set of vocabulary that made it possible for me to get my point across. I was by no means “fluent”, but I was never afraid to speak and learn. Especially the first 3-4 months are crucial to develop your English fluency, which is when I saw my biggest improvement. Most importantly, I learned how to express myself even when I did not know a certain word, but I figured out to describe the word or phrase my sentence differently.
Conclusively, having a good level of English is important to make your experience as a student-athlete in the U.S. enjoyable and successful. You will not have to worry about learning a language aside from your other duties, you will have the opportunity to build relationships with people from all over the world, and you will get better grades in your classes. If you have a basic understanding of the grammar structures and a decent set of vocabulary, you will get the most out of time in the U.S. and when a couple of months have passed by, you will be able to call yourself “fluent” in English.
Author, Johanna Mueller
