Learning a new language for a foreign vacation.

Going to a country that doesn’t speak your language? Wondering if learning the language before you go is a good idea? Read on and learn about my experience and see if it’s worth it for you.

Why I started learning Italian

My first trip in 2003 to Italy inspired me to learn Italian. I spent three months, before the Internet we have today, learning from workbooks. Taking the time to conjugated all the verbs with the –are, -ere- and -ire endings. I was learning the rules of Italian grammar and how to speak it. I even signed up for lessons with an Italian speaking teacher on Skype. It was time to show off my hard work in Italy.

How my italian knowledge worked for me in italy

I traveled with an adult group and my husband. It wasn’t until we arrived in Florence, a couple days into the trip, where I used my Italian. I asked a passer by, “Dov’é il Vivoli?” He stopped and said, “Down the street and around the corner.” Reflecting on this moment, I was very glad he spoke in English. Despite all my studies, I don’t think I would have understood it if spoke back to me Italian. My ability to understand fast speaking Italians who elide all their words was not good at all. “Around the corner” was not in my vocabulary knowledge either.

what i did not learn well

• Listening to people speak in their language
• Vocabulary

Another example

Another time at a jewelry store on the bridge in Florence, I stopped in to ask about a necklace. But I didn’t know the word necklace in Italian. The non-English speaking lady couldn’t figure out what I was trying to ask no matter what I did.

what i did not learn well

• Vocabulary

My next trip to Italy: 5 years later

My second visit to Italy was a little better. This time it was just my husband and I. We went to Rome for a week. Rome was our home base as we did venture out of the city on the trains. I could order what I wanted and figure out some things I needed to do. Yet, I still didn’t feel comfortable speaking and asking questions that I needed to ask.

To be honest, I could have been much better but I hadn’t continued my learning from my previous trip. Life gets busy, is a real excuse.

I am still not any better in Italian.

Even though I have been to Italy four times, my Italian still hasn’t helped me much. Why?

• I did not practice daily. I should be pretty fluent by now, I’ve been studying for over 20 years, but I am still a little above beginner.
• One area I am especially weak at is listening. I am not able to hear people speaking Italian everyday.
• Life gets busy and I just forget I was working on it.

Should you learn a new language?

That’s up to you. Do you have the time to put in the work to learn it? Remember, if you want to use it, you must be able to speak it, listen to it and respond to them. Maybe you don’t have any interest to learn a new language. For either option, I have some ideas and opinions on each one.

Not able or wanting to learn a new language?

The best idea is to use google translator or something like that.

So when you have a question on the menu, you can type or speak your question and it will translate it for you.

If you want to ask a waiter a question, you can type or speak your question, translate it and then show it to the waiter or read it yourself. If you can’t understand what the person is saying, you can record them and then translate it.

In this way, vocabulary, grammar, speaking is not an issue. The translator has everything for you to be successful.

Yes, you want to learn a new language

There are so many ways to learn a language. Just look on Youtube! Everyone has their best way to learn a new language. However, they will all agree one thing: Immersing yourself into the location you want to learn the language is the ultimate way to learn a language. Who is able to do that? So they give you their next best option.

the next best option

1. Sign up for a college course at your local college or on-line
2. Buy language workbooks on vocabulary and grammar
3. Use an App like Duolingo
4. Use a Podcast that focus on learning the language basics
5. Subscribe to their Youtube page and sign up for their course or school

my opinion

Everyone has given theirs, so why not share mine? 🙂

What ever way you chose to learn a language, here’s the percentage of time to put into the language:

1. 70% Listening/Responding/Reading out loud
2. 20% Vocabulary building
3. 10% Grammar

how i came up with these percentages

Spending 70% of your time listening will help:

1. Your vocabulary
2. Your grammar
3. Your ability to understand what is said
4. How to speak as they speak

You can see how when focusing on the listening, the vocabulary and grammar are also worked on. The extra 20% for vocabulary and 10% for grammar will be when you want to spend time outside the listening to better understand the grammar or memorize more words.

Another person explaining what I am saying (In italian with english subtitles)

Here is Kate from Easy Italian on Youtube on how to practice a language. She is an english speaker who has learned Italian.

My Take Aways

1. Pick your favorite way to listen to stories.
2. Spend time with that story, listening to it with and without subtitles, working to understanding it before moving on to the next one. Pick a good story!
3. Get the transcript and identify vocabulary and grammar you do not understand

The above take away can be done with movies and songs too! Have fun and learn!

Have you tried to learn a new language? Do you have something to share to help those who also read this post? Comment below!