When I finished university, I decided to spend a year abroad [ə'brɔd] (en el extranjero). I had always wanted to live in another country, and I had been saving money for two years. I was excited but also nervous ['nɜrvəs] (nervioso).

I chose ['tʃoʊz] England because I wanted to improve [ɪm'pru:v] (mejorar) my English. I had studied it for years at school, but I had never lived in an English-speaking country. I found a small apartment in Brighton ['braɪtən], a city on the south coast that is known for its beaches and its nightlife.

When I arrived, everything was different from what I had imagined. The weather, which I had heard was terrible, was actually not that bad in September. The people I met were very friendly. But the language was harder than I had expected. People spoke so fast that I couldn't understand anything at first.

I got a job at a café that was run by an Italian woman whose husband was English. I enjoyed working there because I could practice my English while earning [ɜrnɪŋ] (ganando) some money. If I hadn't found that job, I would have run out of money very quickly.

I had been living in Brighton for about three months when I started to feel comfortable. I had made some friends - people who I met at work and at a language exchange [ɪks'tʃeɪndʒ] that was organized every Thursday at a pub [pʌb] (bar). The pub where we met was called The Lion ['laɪən], and it was the place where many international students would go.

By December, my English had improved a lot. I had been practicing every day, and I was no longer afraid of making mistakes. I had learned many phrasal verbs that nobody had taught me in school. I had discovered that real English is very different from textbook English.

If I could give one piece of advice to anyone who wants to learn a language, it would be this: go somewhere where the language is spoken. Nothing I had done before - no course, no app, no textbook - had prepared me as well as simply living in the country. I'm not saying you shouldn't study grammar. But if you combine studying with real experience, you will learn faster than you ever thought possible.

I came back home in July. I had been away for ten months. Everything looked the same, but I felt different. I was more confident, more independent [ɪndɪ'pɛndənt], and I had made friends from all over the world who I still keep in touch with.

That year abroad was the best decision I have ever made.

abroad [ə'brɔd] - en el extranjero

improve [ɪm'pru:v] - mejorar

coast [koʊst] - costa

nightlife ['naɪtlaɪf] - vida nocturna

expect [ɪk'spɛkt] - esperar (anticipar)

earn [ɜrn] - ganar (dinero)

comfortable ['kʌmfərtəbəl] - cómodo

exchange [ɪks'tʃeɪndʒ] - intercambio

no longer [noʊ 'lɔŋgər] - ya no

advice [əd'vaɪs] - consejo

combine [kəm'baɪn] - combinar

independent [ɪndɪ'pɛndənt] - independiente

keep in touch [ki:p ɪn tʌtʃ] - mantener el contacto

decision [dɪ'sɪʒən] - decisión