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Language Immersion Courses in Macedonia

About Language Immersion Courses in Macedonia

Macedonia is beautiful mountainous country with an air of mystery. It is a blend of the ancient and the new, and is still striving to find its place in the post-communist world. Macedonia a fascinating place to visit for nature lovers and history buffs alike. Orthodox monks that are clad in black are as common a sight as fashionable teenagers at bars and coffee shops.

Macedonian and Albanian are the two official languages of Macedonia. Macedonian, which is a south Slavic language, is spoken by around 67 percent of the population that is about 2,000,000 speakers all over the world. On the other hand, Albanian is spoken by over 20 percent population, while Turkish, Serbian and Croatian is also spoken in parts.

The Macedonian language has certain grammatical similarities with Bulgarian, and speakers of Bulgarian, Serbian, Croatian and Russian can get by in the country without too much language difficulty. Other tourists and students, on the other hand, would be well advised to learn some basic Macedonian, if they have any long term plans in the country.

Apart from Macedonia’s beautiful mountain peaks, lakes and rivers, the friendliness and hospitality of the local people is something you will always remember. Learning Macedonian can greatly help long term tourists to immerse themselves in this enchanting culture and forge genuine friendships with the locals.

In addition, one must remember that most street names and road signs in the country are written in Macedonian, which uses the Cyrillic alphabet, based on the Glagolitic script. This script originated in Macedonia, before spreading to the eastern Slavic world. This is very different from the Latin letters that most westerners are familiar with, and so it is a good idea to learn Macedonian alphabet before travelling to the country, if you do not want to be left confused.  Moreover, Macedonian is almost completely phonetic m, which means that every letter is pronounced exactly as it is written. So, once you have learned the letters, you can learn to read Macedonian very quickly.

Although there are a few language schools and summer language programs that offer Macedonian immersion courses to tourists and students who wish to learn Macedonian in Macedonia, the language is also offered by various online language programs. One can easily study Macedonian at home on the internet with the help of the numerous online courses that are available. These Macedonian courses teach students the basics of reading, writing and pronunciation. Once you learn basic conversational skills in Macedonian, you can easily practice the language with the locals during your travels and become even better at it. There is no better way to learn Macedonian than by immersing yourself in the culture and history of the country.

For those that love the outdoors, Macedonia is a paradise, with numerous opportunities for hikers, mountain climbers and skiers. On the other hand, ancient ruins will capture the fascination of those that have a passion for history. In addition, the beautiful lakes, deep spirituality and magnificent culture, Macedonia is a lovely destination to spend a summer or a sabbatical. Learning Macedonian will add to the experience and make it an unforgettable one.