Learn English for Travel

Learning English for travel is about the most useful thing you can do to prepare for a trip abroad. With one in five people worldwide speaking some English, it’s the most spoken language on the planet. And no matter where you go, you’re never far from an English speaker. If you master English, you can travel the world, communicating with the people you meet.

Read on to discover the best ways to learn English for travel and how Busuu can help you achieve your goals.

Best ways to learn English for travel

There are countless methods for learning English – some more effective than others. Here are some of the best ways to learn English for travel.

1. Use an app

When it comes to learning English, there’s no optimal approach. Let's be real here – the ‘best’ method is one you can stick with. A method that makes it easy for you to keep learning and improving. You need something that doesn't clash with your jam-packed routine, that you can squeeze in between work or school drop-offs, and that’s portable so you can study wherever and whenever you want.

You need Busuu. With the Busuu app, you can study English at your own pace, fitting it around your own schedule and study plan. The bite-sized lessons and videos in Busuu’s English for Travel course are perfect for busy English learners. You can make progress whether you have five or 50 minutes available each day to study.

2. Learn useful English for travel

The Busuu English for Travel course focuses on the language you need to travel. That’s it. No wasting time learning complicated grammar or practicing email writing skills. Just English that’s useful for travelers.

In the course, you learn how to start conversations, find your way around new places, book tickets and ask the locals questions.

3. Practice speaking English

When you travel, you don’t need to worry about sending emails or writing reports in English. You need speaking skills, and what better way to boost them than by practicing in Busuu’s worldwide community?

To be a great English communicator, you need people to practice with. Busuu’s community includes millions of language learners and native speakers waiting to support you on your journey. Find conversation partners and get feedback. And watch your speaking skills go through the roof.

4. Make progress – even if you don’t have much time to study

We know you’re busy. That’s why our lessons are designed to fit around your schedule. Busuu English lessons are easy to follow and take as little as four minutes. Perfect for your coffee break.

Listen, I’m not going to lie to you. Learning English is tough. And you’ll make more progress if you spend one hour every day studying compared to ten minutes. But, (let’s keep the honesty flowing) ten minutes daily is easier to stick to.

If you spend ten minutes every day for a year studying English, that’s a lot of minutes (3,650 to be precise). And you WILL make progress. There’s no doubt. You can build an English study habit you stick to with Busuu.

5. Access advanced AI tools

The Busuu app makes learning grammar and vocabulary more efficient (and convenient, of course). Forget your giant vocabulary lists and grammar books. Let Busuu’s advanced AI tools optimize your study. The AI algorithm knows which words you’ve covered in lessons. It knows which words you confidently use. And it knows which words you find difficult to remember.

The AI uses this data to help you review grammar and vocabulary. Here’s how it works. Words that you know appear less frequently than words you can’t remember. And the space between reviews increases each time you answer correctly.

The words you haven’t mastered appear more often in the review questions. This means you don’t waste time reviewing words you’re comfortable with. You spend most of your time learning the words you need to learn.

What are the benefits of learning English for travel?

There are hundreds of languages you could learn. Some – Japanese, for example – are only useful in certain countries. Others, like Spanish or Mandarin, are spoken by many, many people, but they can’t match English’s usefulness when traveling.

While there are only around 400 million native English speakers, there are over 1 billion non-native English speakers. That’s a total of 1.4 billion people! So, wherever you go in the world, you’re guaranteed to meet English speakers. No other language has a reach like this.

Here are the biggest benefits of learning English for travel.

1. Mix with locals and other travelers

Sure, the famous sights, the fantastic views and the awesome food are highlights of every trip. But the people you meet along the way are what make traveling special. English gives you a common language to talk to local people and other travelers. It’s the key to meaningful interactions that make traveling what it is – a memorable and life-changing experience.

2. Stay safe

No matter how well you plan your trip, unexpected events happen. Natural disasters, accidents, crime and illness are emergencies that can (and do) happen to travelers. Whether it’s understanding emergency broadcasts, reading signs in hospitals or being able to talk to local police, English is a huge help.

3. Make the best plans

You can book flights and hotels from your home country – no problem. But what about the other amazing tours and experiences you hear about on your trip? You might need to book them with local travel agencies or tour guides. Guess what? These people will all speak English. So make sure you don’t miss out on unforgettable experiences, and learn English before your trip.

4. Be confident and independent

Exploring new countries and cities is scary sometimes. Especially if you can’t communicate. When you learn English in preparation for a trip, you boost your confidence and independence. Want to eat local food in a local restaurant? No problem, you can confidently order. Want recommendations for off-the-tourist-trail things to do? No worries, you can use your English skills to find out where the locals hang out.

5. Find your way around

Whether you’re looking for a train station or a hospital, countries and cities all over the world have signs in English to help you find your way around. Learning common travel vocabulary will help you understand these. But even in places with no signs, if you speak English you can ask for (and importantly, understand) directions. You never need to worry about getting lost overseas again.

Useful English travel phrases

Check out this chart of essential phrases and useful vocabulary that you will learn in your first few lessons with Busuu’s English Travel Course!

The best app for travel English

And if your goals include more than just using English to order food in restaurants or book transportation, Busuu offers a number of other solutions. Want to have in-depth conversations with locals? Try our Complete English course. Planning to talk business on your trip? Our English for Business course will help you with business travel vocabulary. Busuu also offers an English pronunciation course to help you speak clearly and confidently when you travel.

Best of all, you don’t need to learn on your own. Busuu’s worldwide online community includes millions of language learners and native speakers. It’s a supportive community that will help you achieve your goals, build connections and have fun.

Of course, you’ll need to learn a lot more English before you can hold a conversation in a bar or order a coffee – but don’t worry, you’ll learn all that and more in Busuu’s English Travel Course.