Learning on the Road

To make the most of a vacation abroad where you really get to use your language, you need to get off the beaten path. Go to the usual tourist sites and instead of getting to use your hard-won language skills you'll end up talking to other Americans about baseball. You can do that at home. Instead, you have to get outside that “tourist bubble” that includes most of the people in that country who speak English. You have to go a little bit native. This can be challenging, but the rewards for your efforts will be a richer experience, much cooler stories, perhaps a new friend or two, and an unvarnished look at how people live elsewhere.