Is there a person on this planet who hasn’t dreamed of being able to learn a foreign language in a second? It would be so amazing if we were able to communicate with people from all over the world in their own native language, but good things like that take a lot of time.
Even polyglots usually speak 5 to 7 languages. Actually, the polyglot with the most languages in the world is the Bosnian Muhamed Mesic, who speaks a total of 73 languages – quite astonishing, right?
Well, most of us don’t have the time and dedication to learn a foreign language so easily, but if you are traveling its good to take some time to at least learn the basics of the native language in the country you’re visiting.
Why is it Important to Learn a Language Before Traveling
Even though a large part of the world nowadays speaks English, learning the basic language of a country could make traveling a lot easier and add to the enjoyment of the experience.
Even when it’s just a few phrases that you speak, that can open a lot of doors for you and take a lot of the stress away.
There are ways to learn many phrases in a foreign language and be able to express yourself beyond just saying “Hello” and “Thank you“.
Now let’s look at the easiest way to learn as much of the language as possible before you go traveling.
Take Classes in Your Home Country
If you have the time and the resources to start early, it’s good to go all the way and start taking some classes.
There are numerous online language learning platforms that let you choose the intensity and frequency of the classes in a way that best suits your needs.
The benefit of taking classes is that you will have various ways to practice and effectively master the language to a level that will allow you to express yourself freely.
Of course, if you don’t have the time for taking classes, there are numerous other ways to learn the language by yourself.
Practice Speaking
Speaking is the hardest part of language learning, so after you look at the grammar and the vocabulary in some books or on the Internet, it’s good to look for some speaking exercises.
Try to find a partner to practice speaking with, in order to become more comfortable with the language use. It is even better if you find a native speaker.
Look for a Language Meetup
In many countries, there are language meetups in which native speakers and language learners gather to speak a particular country’s language.
Going to such a meeting will immerse you in an environment that will help you quickly and subconsciously start speaking the language in a natural way.
Listen to Music and Podcasts in the Foreign Language
One of the best ways to learn any language is by doing something that is pleasant for you. Find some music in that language and listen to it, possibly with subtitles on.
Understanding songs in a foreign language is usually more difficult than understanding speech, so it will help you level up a lot faster.
If your level is more advanced, you can even start listening to podcasts to get a better understanding of the language and make it your second nature.
Watch Films with Subtitles
Watching films in a foreign language is another great way to get a more natural understanding of the language use and become more comfortable with it.
Only learning grammar and vocabulary is not going to be effective if you want to be able to speak freely, so find some movies and play them with English subtitles to start catching words, phrases, and sentence constructions in a more natural setting.
Look at Some Magazines
Reading text is important if you want to practice the grammar and vocabulary that you’ve learned.
Instead of starting with books, in which the language use is usually quite complicated, start with some magazines that usually have simple phrasing that is easy to understand.
Prepare Flashcards
Flashcards are a great way to remember words, phrases, and grammatical constructions.
You can bring a set of flashcards anywhere with you and even use them on the plane to review and remind yourself of some important parts of the language.
Use Duolingo
There are numerous language apps from which you can choose that let you learn the language on the go. Duolingo is vastly popular now because it makes language learning look like a game.
If that app doesn’t quite match your learning style, look at all the available options in the app store and pick one that makes you feel like you are making true progress in language learning.
Now you are ready to go and practice the language in the country it is native to.