A language boost on holiday

A holiday is a time to recharge. To step away from work, your calendar and your daily routines. But that is exactly why it also creates space for something you may not get around to in daily life: refreshing your language skills.

Not by sitting by the pool with a study book. But by making language a relaxed part of your holiday. With music in the car, a novel in your suitcase, a magazine from a local kiosk, a conversation on a terrace or a film on a warm evening.

Language learning works better when it is fun

When people want to improve a language, they often think of learning vocabulary or revising grammar. That can be useful, but it is not the only way. On holiday, you can connect language with relaxation, curiosity and enjoyment.

Do you enjoy music? Choose artists who sing in the language you want to practise. Do you enjoy reading? Take a book that suits your level. Do you like cooking? Read local recipes or menus. Do you follow the news? Try watching a local channel.

The closer the language is to your interests, the easier it is to keep going.

Listen to music in the language of your holiday destination

Music is a pleasant way to get a feel for a language. You hear pronunciation, rhythm, sound and intonation without having to study them actively. Also, lines from songs often stay in your head quite easily.

Before you leave, make a playlist with music in the language you want to improve. Choose a few songs you like and listen to the same songs more than once. After a few times, you will start to recognise words and phrases. Then look up the lyrics and read along while you listen.

You do not have to understand everything. The point is to help your ear get used to the language. And after a few days, you may even find yourself singing along with the chorus.

Take a book that suits your level

Reading a book in another language can be very useful, but only if you do not make it too difficult for yourself. So do not choose a novel that you would already find challenging in your own language. Start with an accessible book, short stories, young adult fiction, non-fiction about a topic that interests you, or a book you already know in your own language.

Do not read with the idea that you have to look up every word. That takes away the flow and the pleasure. Try to follow the main idea. Only mark words that come back often or that are important for understanding the text.

A good holiday reading strategy:

• read short sections
• accept that you will not understand everything
• look up only key words
• briefly summarise what happened after a few pages
• read out loud when you also want to practise your pronunciation

Buy a local magazine

A magazine is often easier to start with than a book. The texts are shorter, the images help you understand the context and you can choose a topic you enjoy: travel, sport, cooking, interiors, fashion, cars, gardening or current affairs.

First, browse through the magazine calmly. Read the headlines, captions and short paragraphs. Try to guess what an article is about before you look up words. Guessing from context is valuable. It helps you train your feel for the language.

And you immediately learn words linked to your own interests. That makes it more likely that you will remember them.

Watch local TV or streaming with subtitles

Images help a lot with language understanding. That is why local television is so useful for training your listening skills. You see faces, situations, gestures and images that support what is being said.

For example, watch five to ten minutes of the local news. You do not have to understand everything. Ask yourself: What is this about? Which words do I recognise? What do I understand because of the images?

Films and series can also work well. Ideally, switch on subtitles in the same language as the spoken language. This helps you connect sound and spelling. Subtitles in your own language are relaxing, but they help less if you want to work actively with the language.

Use food and culture as language trainers

Food is one of the easiest ways into a language. Menus, markets, recipes and conversations with waiters or shopkeepers give you many everyday words.

For example, learn words for cooking methods, flavours and ingredients. Think of grilled, fried, spicy, sweet, homemade, regional dish or seasonal product. These are words you can use straight away.

Museums, city walks and information signs are also good moments to practise. First read the text in the local language. Only then check whether there is a translation in your own language or in English. This way, experiencing culture also becomes a language moment.

Speak, even when it is not perfect

Listening and reading are pleasant ways to start. But speaking often gives you the most energy. A short greeting, a thank-you or a simple question can already be enough.

You do not have to speak without mistakes. In fact, on holiday the barrier is often lower. Nobody knows you, nobody is judging you and most people appreciate it when you make an effort to speak their language.

Continue learning after your holiday

Sometimes, during a holiday, you notice that you want to be able to say more than you can now. Maybe you want to connect more easily in a country you visit often. Maybe you mainly use a language for work and want to communicate with more nuance, ease and confidence after the summer. Or maybe you once followed a language training course and feel that it is time to activate that foundation again.

A focused language training course can help. At Regina Coeli, you work on your own goals with personal guidance from native speakers. This can be intensive training in Vught, in an environment designed for full focus. But it can also be hybrid or online, if that fits your schedule better.

That small holiday spark may become the start of your next step.