Learning the Local Language When Traveling.

Traveling to a new country is always a thrilling experience. However, it can be a lot challenging too if you run into language barriers. Not understanding the local language can make you feel isolated, and it can ruin your experience due to communication problems.

While you can find your way around speaking English in most countries, ardent travelers know the importance of learning the local language. Learning the local language will significantly change your perspective on the country, its people, its culture and allow you to have a more immersive travel experience.

Below are ten reasons why learning the local language of the country you are visiting is important.

1. It Allows You to Interact With Locals Better

If you only speak English, you are limited to interacting with only those who speak English. Often, this will keep you refrained from communicating with people outside your group, which can be a dull experience. If you are not from a group, it can be challenging to become a part of their group conversations even though they are all English speakers. By learning the local language, though, you can interact with natives across the country better and build new friendships.

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2. It Makes It Easier to Get Around

Just as speaking the local language allows you to better interact with the locals, it also helps you explore different places in the country and have a more fabulous travel experience. From asking for directions to reading the signs, everything can be much easier when you know the local language. Even if you get lost, it will be easy to communicate with people and find your way around, especially when you visit remote areas where the native people are less likely to understand a foreign language.

3. It Makes Your Life Easier

Apart from allowing yourself to explore secluded places across the country, learning the local language makes your life easier in many other ways too. For instance, knowing the common phrases and words in the local language can help when ordering food in a restaurant or negotiating a better price when shopping at the flea market. Finding local transportation means can also be much easier when you know the local language. Above all, it will avoid miscommunication and ensure that you do not offend anyone by saying something inappropriate.

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4. It Helps You to Understand Their Culture

No matter how much time you have spent researching about the country, nothing can give you a deep understanding of their culture if you are not familiar with the local language. Traveling to a new country is all about experiencing the lifestyle and culture there, so it always pays off to learn the local language before packing your bags and heading to the destination. You do not have to be fluent in the local language either; learning a few essential phrases and words will do to create a richer and more memorable experience.

5. It Allows You to Create New Connections

Traveling abroad means that you will be introduced to a lot of diversity. Yet when language barriers hamper you, it can be challenging to gain trust and make new friends in the country you are visiting. Therefore, just as learning the local language allows you to have a deeper perspective of their culture and lifestyle, it will also help you to build new connections in a foreign land. This can be an added perk if you are traveling for business needs.

6. It Gives You a Sense of Independence

If you do not understand the local language, you will be limited to following your pre-planned itinerary and visiting only the country’s usual tourist attractions. When you speak the local language, it will give you a better sense of independence and explore hidden places out of your planned itinerary. That way, you can visit the city’s outskirts and go places as the wind takes you. Besides, you can also stay away from tourist traps when you understand the local language.

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7. It Helps You to Survive Any Situation

Learning the local language can be a boon to survive in situations where you cannot communicate in English. For instance, by interacting with the natives in their language, you can easily find your way to the nearest train station when exploring the remote areas where the GPS signals do not work. It is also seen that locals treat foreigners more heartily when they speak the local language, which can be a great way to explore the neighborhood at your pace.

8. It Can Be a Godsend in Case of an Emergency

If you have any food or medicine allergies, you will need to ensure that you follow your doctor’s instructions to the word to avoid an emergency. Yet when traveling abroad, it is easy to miss the dietary instructions, especially if you do not know the local language. That is because you cannot clarify whether the food you are having is free from the ingredients that you are not supposed to eat. By learning the local language, you can stay away from such risky mix-ups and easily seek help in case of an emergency.

9. It Enhances Your Safety

You cannot err on the side of caution when traveling to a new country. Without knowing the local language, you cannot ask the important questions that you need to feel comfortable and safe. This means you are more likely to skip some of the most incredible experiences just because you are unable to communicate with the locals. Apart from making you feel more comfortable in the environment that you are visiting, you can also keep away from people upselling their services or products by learning the local language.

10. It is Always an Asset

Learning a new language is always a good thing, both personally and professionally. Being multilingual allows you to explore better career opportunities, as employers will see you as a potential candidate to interact with the global market with ease. At the same time, learning a foreign language helps you to become more open-minded and gain experiences from around the world too. Studies even say that learning a new language helps to improve memory, creativity, and problem-solving skills. All of that means it is always a win-win to learn the local language when traveling.

As you can see, learning the local language benefits you in a lot of ways, not only when traveling to the country, but also afterward when you get back home. While it may seem difficult to learn a new language, you can easily become acquainted with it by enrolling in online classes. That way, when you arrive at the tourist destination, you can practice the local language and master it quickly.