Traveling the world is a common dream for people, but it takes a bit of preparation beforehand. The first step before traveling to a foreign country is to learn a foreign language. It’s imperative that you know how to communicate with those around you. Not to mention, learning a new language also invites a host of other benefits, such as business opportunities.
World of Oppurtunity
Before committing to such a task you should probably know why you’re starting it. Learning a foreign language opens you to a whole new world of opportunities. Besides traveling, learning a new tongue allows you to vastly increase your versatility in your professional life. In addition, it allows you to meet people and successfully create relationships with people from multiple cultures. Consequently, you will be able to integrate yourself in these new cultures.
The First Step
Deciding on which language you want to learn is a difficult first step. Finding inspiration on which new foreign language to learn takes some self-reflection. First, you should think about what places you’d like to visit.
Find a Resource
Now that you’ve decided on a language, let’s think about how you’ll actually start learning this it. The modern age has introduced a smorgasbord of ways to learn a foreign language. For example, multiple apps have been released to expedite this process. Our main recommendation is Duolingo since its a free app and it’s fairly easy to use. However, if you’re more comfortable learning the classic way you should find a textbook or a personal tutor.
Schedule Your Goals
It’s easy to plan an abstract roadmap of your journey to a new language, but like most
Use It On The Daily
A key component in this journey is incorporating learning into your daily life. Again, the technology boom has made it much easier to learn a foreign language. In particular, our phones allow us to connect to people around the globe, and google translate lets you roughly communicate! Use this learning experience to meet new people and pick up pieces of the language by just being around them. This journey is a good excuse to go out and meet new people and engage in new cultures. On the other hand, if you’re more of a homebody you can join a digital pen pal program.
No Miracle Montage
To reiterate, learning a new language is extremely challenging, it’s not gonna play out like that iconic Legally Blonde montage. Learning a foreign language is difficult but it’s always worth it in the end. So instead of thinking of the struggles you face, think about all the benefits this acquired skill will bring into your life. For examp[le, you can travel around the world without stigma of being a tourist.
Foreign Language: Patience With Yourself
Traveling the world without being bilingual is like going up a creek without a paddle. Picking up foreign languages greatly enriches your life with new opportunity. So before you book your next trip why not pick up a new language first? It takes about 10,000 hours to become fluent in a language. Every minute you spend brings you closer to your goal, so start today.