Believe it or not, Hungarians are not very fond of jokes about hungry Hungarians (you’re more clever than that anyway). But, on the plus side, Hungarians are probably pretty hungry because their food is delicious!

Listening 101. Learning a foreign language without leaving the comfort of your home country and culture presents an obstacle of narrowness that can only be hurdled by total immersion. To be completely fluent in a foreign language, you need a total understanding of the culture, society, and even nonverbal communication, instead of just filling up on facts and translations. Communication is a two-way street, and listening is, perhaps, the road less traveled. Reel in your eagerness to practice your new speaking skills and take the time to listen and observe how the natives interact and engage with one another during language courses in Hungary.

Career advantage. With universal unemployment problems, multilingual abilities have become an unquestionable competitive edge over competing applicants. Language abilities tell of a person’s intelligence, flexibility, openness, and decision-making skills. When an interviewer sees that you learned a new language smack-dab in the middle of the culture where it originates, you will undoubtedly set the bar high for all other candidates.

Don’t use English as a crutch. Even though each day may seem like a linguistic eternity, resist the temptation to revert back to your mother tongue when you’re in a pinch. Don’t get fed up, you can work through it when you remind yourself you’re in it for the long run. Pushing through tough situations will produce a whole new learning environment that can’t be replicated in a classroom. Don’t shortchange yourself!

Enigma stigma. One word: megszentségteleníthetetlenségeskedéseitekért. Not all Hungarian vocabulary is this daunting, but many people believe it to be one of the hardest (but most rewarding) languages to learn. Hungarian isn’t in the same language family as the rest of Europe; as a result, its words don’t have the benefit of a Latin or Greek background that make some words in English, French, and Spanish quite recognizable when compared to each other.

Diving head first into a new culture does not guarantee ease and comfort, but it does offer something much better: a chance for growth beyond knowledge that will facilitate mindfulness and humility that cannot be shaken. So, what are you waiting for? Conquer the challenges and reap the benefits of language study in Hungary!