Language for Travel

What better way to prepare for a trip (besides booking with BrilliantTrips.com of course) than to learn the language of your destination; or at least a few words and phrases. Not only will it be fun and helpful to practice your language skills, but you will open up a whole new window to the local culture.

Want a little more than what a guidebook offers, but don’t have time or money to enroll in a language class before you travel? Check out what the BBC has to offer at www.bbc.co.uk/languages. When I discovered this site, I felt like I hit the language jackpot. The site is full of language tips and lessons where you can learn just a few important words and phrases or you can build on a language that you already know.

Take advantage of the interactive video courses and video shorts which are great not only because you hear how to pronounce the spoken word, but you also see the physical gestures that can be an important part of the language too. For example, when you greet a person, do you kiss them on the cheek 2 or 3 times or not at all? Questions like this are addressed in the videos. You can download phrases and words as MP3s, taking the time and question out of trying to figure out the phrasebook interpretation of how something should “sound”. Use that free time you’ll likely have waiting in airports or on your flight to your final destination to listen to these MP3s. Knowing a few useful words and phrases can help take some of the “shock” out of “culture shock.” Print and take these with you for quick reference or in case you encounter the inevitable electronic glitch.

The more you explore www.bbc.co.uk/languages, the more bonus features you’ll find. For those of you who are more advanced in your language skills, you can even find fun and games sections. Check out the “cool” Italian and Spanish to learn the ever important slang of your destination and download the MP3s. There is also a section called “your say”. Here, readers give their input on everything from funny language blunders and learning tips to stories from abroad and cultural opinions. Ten stories from readers are published each week in this section, so the input is always new and fun. You can even share your insight or experiences from abroad or home. The section on “funny things” is really worth a read. Not only will you find some laugh at loud stories, but you’ll see you’re not alone in having to stumble a little (or a lot) before really catching on to new language and culture.