Lucy Pickford
Many of us don’t know when we’ll be able to travel abroad again next time. But that doesn’t have to mean that we should forget our dream! What’s a better way of spending a lot of time indoors, than to learn a language for your future travel?
And by learning new language before travelling you can communicate with people much more easily, find out things about the place you’re visiting, and in general getting a much richer experience. Although, it can be difficult to know where to start, what tools to use and which language to pick. Let us help you kickstart your journey towards your next travel destination , somewhere in the future, when things are going back to normal.
Apps – a quick and fun way to start
Perhaps an obvious one, but it can be a great way to test the water and start familiarising yourself with a language. With apps ranging from the classic Duolingo to language-specific ones such as Hiragana Quest, it’s worth doing a bit of research before you pay for your subscription. If you’ve got a clear idea of which language you want to study then going for the language-specific apps will make a noticeable difference. You may have already spotted that we’ve put together a few lists of our favourite language learning apps for Korean, Japanese and Chinese. With many people with extra time over to spend, this might also be a perfect time ot try out apps for person-to-person interactions, such as Italki.
Textbooks for a great foundation
With more time on your hands, it might be worth taking a more in-depth approach to learning your new language and a textbook your best friend in that case. Apps can be great for conversational learning but if you’re looking to properly learn a language then textbooks will give you a more in-depth overview of the constructs of a language and help you get everything just right. If not, it’s a great complement to an app.
Language tests as a goal
Official language tests, such as JLPT for Japanese, are great ways for giving your self-studies even more importance. If you have longterm goals, such as eventually moving to a new country, official language tests are great stepping stones. And why not combine your future trip with studying for, or taking, the language test itself. Like JLPT Study Trip with classes is included in your travel, as well as many fun activities for you to explore the Japanese culture. The JLPT Study Trip also lets you take the JLPT (Japanese language test) at the end of the course. It’s an all-in-one solution!
Check out what other options are there for the language you want to learn!
A gift to your future self
Learning a language for travelling will make a world of difference to the experience that you have when you visit a country. Being able to ask the locals about secret spots or ask for the chefs opinion on what food you should order, there are plenty of reasons to learn. So give your future self the present of an elevated travel experience, and use your self-quarantine time learning a language for a future trip. We promise, it’s well worth it!
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Last Updated on April 3, 2020
