Language Matters!
One of the many intercultural skills is the ability to communicate in a second language. What language you use to communicate with people abroad really does matter. Even if the predominant language in your study abroad country is the same as your native language, you should expect differences in both what words mean as well as how people use the language.
For example, many U.S. American students study abroad in countries where English is the predominant language, such as Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, the U.K., and many assume that the same words and phrases are used in their host country as they are "back home." Many of these students quickly discover that the local people have a variety of sayings and phrases that seem foreign or that have very different meaning than they initially assumed.
For example, many U.S. American students study abroad in countries where English is the predominant language, such as Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, the U.K., and many assume that the same words and phrases are used in their host country as they are "back home." Many of these students quickly discover that the local people have a variety of sayings and phrases that seem foreign or that have very different meaning than they initially assumed.