Anyone who has traveled to a foreign country has likely considered buying some flashcards or applications to help learn the local language. Today, it’s easier than ever to communicate while abroad through educational tools such as free services like the BBC’s language resources and comprehensive programs like Rosetta Stone or the Pimsleur Approach. However, rather than spending a frantic plane ride trying to catch up on weeks worth of language homework, many travelers are opting for a different method of language acquisition: language immersion vacations.
Everyone knows that the fastest way to learn a language is to be fully surrounded by it. With this in mind, numerous language schools have opened up around the world to provide programs that combine vacation fun with rigorous language education. Naturally, vacationers can choose to find independent tutors or language schools at nearly every popular destination, but language immersion schools offer vacations built on learning. What better way to spend a family vacation than at a destination like the Heart of France School of Language, located in a 16th-century mansion in Sancerre, France, or at Concordia Language Villages in Minnesota, which offers instruction in everything from Spanish to Chinese. Several of these schools offer all-inclusive vacations that include room, board, and outings to local hotspots and landmarks.
Travelers who are interested in immersion learning but would prefer to avoid spending an entire vacation focused exclusively on lessons have myriad options as well. In Tokyo, World Link Education offers Japanese instruction while simultaneously introducing Japanese culture through participation in a variety of activities, such as karaoke and tea ceremonies. Others may prefer learning Italian in Tuscany, where the Sanctuary Villas company teaches the local language while providing cooking classes. Naturally, there are also options for those who want to pair their education with a heavy dose of relaxation, and schools in France, Greece, and many other popular locales make sure to provide ample opportunities to escape the classroom for an afternoon on the beach.