Traveling to different regions of the world is an exciting adventure, even though there’s a measure of uncertainty awaiting your journey. Some of these struggles might include difficulties in transportation and language barriers. Aside from preparing your passport, travel insurance, luggage, and itinerary, you can also prepare for your trip by learning Latin online.
Many consider Latin as a dead language today, but nothing could be farther from the truth. In fact, Latin is as alive as the many native languages still in existence, and learning it can prepare you for your international travel through the following ways:
Better Navigation and Transportation
Communication media, road signs, landmarks, bus stops, and railway systems in different countries are usually written in their native languages, accompanied by English translations if you’re lucky enough. However, learning Latin in several places where Latin is widely relevant, especially European countries, can help you navigate better when using both private and public transportation.
You don’t have to learn the whole handbook of Latin, but familiarizing yourself with words and phrases that are mostly used for travelers can make a huge difference. Instead of getting lost and asking around, knowing how to understand information written in Romance languages will help you because you’re familiar with their Latin roots and origins.
Prevent Cultural Mistakes
Travelers are not natives to a certain country, but are they excused from committing cultural mistakes? Once you travel to unfamiliar places to explore everything around it, you should be sensitive enough and be well aware of your responsibilities as a traveler. Respect and kindness towards cultural traditions and customs can avoid instances of embarrassment, both on your part and natives’ part as well.
Imagine committing a social faux pas in a public restaurant simply because you failed to read the instructions written in a Romance language. Another example is having said something unwittingly disrespectful to the locals simply because you didn’t know the context behind it. These are some examples of the cultural faux pas that you can avoid if you’ve learned the Latin language properly.
Opens a Gateway for Culture
Discovering the language of a certain place will eventually lead to understanding their cultural context. These two elements work hand in hand, as knowing one’s language will motivate you into diving deeper into their culture and motivations. Keep in mind that learning one’s culture goes beyond simply memorizing their dictionary and using grammatically correct sentences. Learning another culture entails immersing yourself into its human and genuine side.
Whenever people learn a new language, their capacity to understand can extend to philosophical and existential levels. If you have learned Latin prior to your travels, you’re more encouraged to learn their culture deeper because the language has opened your curiosity. Also, your ability to empathize with different cultures increases, improving your understanding of the world.
Develop Fruitful Relationships With New People
Meeting new people in an unfamiliar place can lead to productive relationships, especially when building rapport with the locals, which can make your entire stay fruitful. You’ll develop diverse networks around you not only so you can move around easier, but because you can create new and exciting memories with them.
As a traveler, you simply can’t do everything by yourself, so it’s inevitable to talk to a stranger. Being familiar with the Latin language can help you communicate better with the locals, even though they don’t speak pure Latin as long as they’re fluent in Romance languages.
Knowing how to communicate with them doesn’t only touch locals on a personal level. Since you’ve exerted effort in trying to speak their language, you’ll leave among them a good impression as you’re trying to learn their culture. These fruitful relationships can last throughout your stay, and some can even extend after you’ve returned home.
Widen Your Career Network
While this can be limited only to people traveling for work and business matters, still, learning Latin can let you branch out, allowing you to partake in more opportunities. The global market achieves its success through harmonious relationships forged from one country to the next, thus preventing unpleasant connections.
Say you’re having meetings and conferences with professionals native to this specific place. Sure, you can communicate through English as a universal language, but trying to speak their local language will give them a good impression that you’re sincere in talking and negotiating with them. As a result, you’re more likely to encourage business partners or employers into working with you despite the differences in language.
Conclusion
Getting to know a new language is a difficult task, especially if you’re not even fluent in your own mother tongue. However, conquering the challenges of learning Latin can best prepare you for international travel with its numerous benefits. With your knowledge of Latin, you have a better chance to navigate properly during your travels, understand the local culture, prevent cultural mishaps, develop new relationships, and obtain wider career opportunities.
