The advantage of speaking english

There are many great reasons to learn English and the advantages that come from speaking English when you travel are many, varied and valuable. In so many parts of the world, English is the ‘international language’ — although it may not be the language that is native to, or most commonly spoken in a particular country, English is most often the language that travellers share and local people use when communicating with visitors.

Here we take a look at six of the greatest advantages of speaking English when you travel:

1: Ease of making bookings

As so many travellers will testify, being able to quickly and easily make reservations and other bookings is critical to the success of your adventures. Needing to spend time, effort and possibly money on translations and explanations can be stressful and is simply not effective.

2: Express what you want

When you are a proficient speaker of the English language, it is much simpler to ask for what you want and explain your preferences. For example, expressing yourself through the English language can make it far easier to ask for food to be cooked the way that you desire, an air conditioned room or recommendations for sights and adventures most closely aligned with your interests.

3: Meeting local people

Having the opportunity to meet and eat with local people and getting to know something of their lifestyle is a completely precious opportunity that is unique to travel. Even if you are in a country where English is not the dominant language, chances are that English will be used as the basis for communication between speakers of different native languages.

When you travel and are able to speak English well, it is more than likely that you will experience greater ease and confidence when interacting with local people and simultaneously gaining fascinating insight into their lives.

4: Interacting with other travellers

No matter where travellers call home, English is, overwhelmingly, the international language of communication for travellers. Although you may be thousands of kilometres from home and initially perceive little advantage in hanging out with people that live close to or in a similar way to you, it can often be very comforting to mix with people with whom you can share experiences and communicate using a language with which you are confident.

5: Pleasantries and important phrases

Even a very basic level of English can assist you with important phrases and key pleasantries that will be frequently used when travelling. It goes without saying that being able to use these phrases appropriately and confidently can make your time and experiences in different places all the more enjoyable.

6: Independence

Speaking English when you travel enables you to enjoy a greater level of independence than you otherwise might. Rather than having to rely on tour guides that speak your native language and being restricted to taking organised tours, speaking English allows you significantly more freedom and the opportunity to explore more independently and creatively.

English is an important and useful language to know when you travel. Even when travelling to countries where English is not the language most commonly spoken, it is often recognised as the ‘international language’ and the language that is mutual to travellers and locals. When you are able to speak English at some level of proficiency, travelling becomes more straightforward because major challenges and difficulties can be ameliorated.