Learning a new language is always a challenging process, but it gets easier if you have the opportunity to study while traveling. Working in a foreign country gives you a perfect chance to master a local language and become a fluent speaker very quickly.
It doesn’t mean, of course, that you will figure everything out instantly, but the fact is that you can learn faster simply because you have the chance to learn among locals.
If you want to make the most of your business travel, you should prepare for it and make a plan on how to approach your language learning lessons. You must also get ready to embrace different cultures, protocols, rules, safety procedures, and many other practical details that make our everyday lives more comfortable.
In this post, we will show you seven tips to learn a new language when being on a business trip to a foreign country. Let’s check them out!
Study Before Going Abroad
The first thing you need to know is that you have to start studying a foreign language before taking off. After all, you don’t want to end up in a totally different environment knowing nothing about the local language and culture.
You should begin at least a few weeks before the departure, but it would be even better to spend a few months figuring out the basics of the new language. Most learners choose to understand the key phrases that they can use every day. Such expressions serve as an excellent icebreaker, so take some time to learn the main phrases such as:
- Hello, good evening, goodbye!
- What time it is?
- I do not understand.
- How much does it cost?
- I got lost.
- Where can I find/buy…?
Read Books and Magazines
Reading local books and magazines is another thing you can and should do in order to prepare for the new professional and life experience. It is by far the best way to expand vocabulary and grasp the essence of grammar and sentence structures.
Jake Gardner, a content creator at the essay writing service, says you should start with the easiest texts to avoid being overwhelmed by the sheer complexity of a foreign language: “Find some interesting books or websites that are highly educational, but easy to figure out. That way, reading will have the greatest effect on your language learning efforts.”
Use a Language Learning App
We live in the digital world where over five billion people own a mobile device. In such circumstances, you should take advantage of your smartphone to install a language learning app and use it as the first aid in a foreign country.
There are hundreds of interesting tools you can try, but the most popular solution among new language students is Duolingo. It’s a free tool with dozens of different languages and a wide range of intuitive and user-friendly features.
Gamification is the best thing about Duolingo because you can study while playing. It makes the whole experience more amusing and addictive, which makes you get to learn faster than the average student.
Find a Local Language Tutor
The tips we mentioned so far were all about independent learning, but now it is time to start thinking locally. We encourage you to find a local language tutor to help you find your way through the new culture quickly and effortlessly.
If you are lucky, it will be one of your colleagues abroad. In other cases, you can dig deeper and find a local guide online before you even get there. The only thing that matters is to find an enthusiastic person who will be glad to spend a few weeks with you and help you identify and understand the most important elements of the local language.
Avoid English-Speaking People
English is by far the most popular language globally, so it will be easy to find people to talk to using your mother tongue. However, you should avoid it at all costs. How come?
Well, the fastest way to learning a foreign language is the total immersion in the new culture and its main dialects. Although speaking English is easier for you, it will slow you down significantly and perhaps even ruin your studying efforts for good.
Don’t Be Ashamed of Making Mistakes
Learning languages is always based on the so-called trial and error method. The point is clear – you cannot speak perfectly from the very beginning. On the contrary, you will be making a lot of mistakes at first, but don’t let it discourage you. It’s a gradual process that everyone must go through.
After all, the same process takes place in every other field of work. For example, a beginner-level essay service professional writing the first assignment will probably make a few blunders style-wise, but he/she will get better over time. Practice makes perfect in every process, including language studies.
Be Patient
The last tip on our list goes hand in hand with the previous one. Namely, you have to patient and let your mind process new information slowly and gradually. It will make you go crazy on some occasions, but rest assured you will get used to it quickly.
And as you keep making progress, you are going to feel prouder every day. It will give you additional motivation to continue working hard and spend even more time perfecting your language skills while working in a foreign country.
Conclusion
There is no better way to study a new language than to travel abroad and learn it directly from locals. If you are going on a business trip, we recommend you to make a good plan and use this period to add one more language to your skill set.
In this post, we discussed seven tips to learn a new language when being on a business trip to a foreign country. Do you plan to work abroad anytime soon?
Michael Gorman is an essay writer at the best essay help agency from San Francisco, California. Michael has always been interested in assignment help online and research paper writing help, but he also specializes in other topics such as literature and languages. Michael is the father of two boys and a dedicated long-distance runner.
