Exploring a new place is always an exciting experience. However, for many travellers, venturing into foreign lands can also be daunting at times, particularly for non-native English speakers who have to deal with language barriers during a trip.  

Travelling the world is one of the best ways to learn English and improve your English language skills, and there are many things you can do along the way to help boost your confidence in your use of English.  

Here are 5 effective ways you can learn English while travelling.

1. Take an online English course

EFL schools in exotic locations offer the perfect environment for your language development, yet lessons tend to be overpriced. On the other hand, doing an online course means you get more individual attention, cheaper classes, and more freedom to travel.  

Skye Online English offers online courses tailored to your needs. Basically, you can create your own curriculum, which will be delivered by experienced teachers in 1-to-1 sessions. You will also receive personalised worksheets, which you can complete on those long train journeys or while sipping cocktails on the beach.

2. Stay with a local family

Staying at a hostel isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. If you’re travelling alone, you might not want to spend your days in a hotel room, either. Booking a room in a local home does not only provide you with that much-needed company, but it can also help you improve your speaking skills in both English and the native language of your destination. Moreover, you get to experience a place like a local!

Homestay is a trusted website that connects travellers with local hosts for an authentic travel experience. The hosts do not just hand you the keys to your room, but they also spend time with you by showing you around the city and dining with you. If you feel a bit uneasy about staying at a stranger’s home, you can get to know your hosts beforehand by video calling them on Homestay.

3. Buy a lightweight study book

Self-study textbook make an amazing travel companion, especially if you’re looking for ways to kill time on long journeys while doing something productive. However, if you’re travelling the world with a backpack, you might not really have enough space for textbooks.  

A couple of great lightweight textbooks:

Oxford Learner’s Pocket Grammar: This pocket-sized book is perfect for revising grammar rules on the road.

Oxford Learner’s Pocket Word Skills: This book helps your learn new words with topic-based vocabulary.

4. Book a cooking class

Joining a cooking class is a fun way of improving your English while travelling, especially if you love sampling local delicacies. Not only do you get to learn the secrets of preparing local dishes, but you will also have the opportunity to mingle with locals and fellow foodies.  

BookCulinaryVacations.com helps you book cooking holidays in amazing locations across the world. Some of these culinary experiences pair cooking courses with yoga and meditation classes.

5. Go on city walks

If you want to immerse yourself in a city’s culture and history while working on your English listening skills, city walks will help you do both. You don’t need to be a history buff to enjoy city walks – many tour companies offer niche tours that allow you to explore a lesser-known side of a city.  

You can book city walks ahead of your arrival on booking platforms like Viator and GetYourGuide where you find a variety of themed walks for each destination, including ghost tours, coffee and food tours, street art tours, and more.