Picture this: You’re in a bustling café in Istanbul, ordering a cup of Turkish tea. The waiter asks you a question, but instead of panicking or reaching for Google Translate, you actually understand and respond. That moment—the thrill of real communication—is what makes language learning for travel so rewarding.

A lot of us are excited by the prospect of traveling and picking up a language along the way. However, what exactly is the role between travel and language learning? There’s a common belief that if you just show up in a country, you’ll absorb the language naturally. And yet, I know plenty of people who lived abroad for years and never got past basic greetings. Furthermore, many learners reach fluency without ever setting foot in the country.

So, what’s the key? Preparation. If you want to learn a language for travel, you have to put in the work before you go. I’ve done this right, and I’ve done it wrong. Here’s what I’ve learned.

My Thoughts on Phrasebooks: You Cannot Cram a Language

Let’s start off this post with two important takeaways:

  1. You need more than a phrasebook and a couple of weeks to effectively learn a language.
  2. To make good progress in your language learning abroad, you’ll need to arrive with an already decent level.

I’ve traveled to Vietnam, Portugal, and Croatia with phrasebooks in hand, hoping to pick up the language through daily interactions. It didn’t happen. You don’t magically become fluent just because you’re surrounded by the language. In most cases, you’ll default to English or rely on Google Translate.

The truth is, if you arrive in a country with little to no knowledge of the language, you won’t be able to use it effectively. You’ll be overwhelmed, and real conversations will move too fast for you to keep up. Immersion in a country is most valuable for those who already have a solid foundation and familiarity with the language.

How to Actually Prepare for Travel

If you want to make the most of your trip, start learning well before you leave. Here’s what works:

1. Build a Large Vocabulary Base

You need breadth in your vocabulary, not just a handful of travel phrases. Instead of memorizing “Where is the train station?” in isolation, you should be reading, listening, and learning thousands of words in context. A phrasebook will not prepare you to improvise or handle spontaneous situations.

How many words do you need to use the language while you travel? For me, 20,000 known words on LingQ is a good benchmark. That might sound like a lot, but it’s what allows me to function comfortably in a new language. In my preparation for Turkey, I’m aiming for at least 100 new words a day, ensuring that by the time I arrive, I have enough exposure to engage in real conversations.

2. Read and Listen as Much as Possible

Reading and listening are the best ways to build familiarity with a language before you set foot in the country. I consume podcasts, audiobooks, and news articles—anything that gets me used to the rhythm and structure of the language.

Again, as my trip to Turkey approaches, I’m watching YouTube cooking shows, stand-up comedians, and historical documentaries. The more I expose myself to the language, the easier it will be to pick up new words and phrases when I’m actually in Turkey.

3. Save the Phrasebook for Later

A phrasebook is useless if you don’t understand the language structure behind it. But once you have a solid foundation, phrasebooks can actually be a great resource. Phrasebooks are more useful when they reinforce what you already know. If you want to learn a language for travel, you should not waste your time memorizing foreign sounds without context. Instead, use a phrasebook to reinforce and enhance a preexisting base of knowledge.

Before my trip to Vietnam, I studied a phrasebook but had no real exposure to Vietnamese. The only word I remembered was cảm ơn (thank you), simply because it sounded like “come on” in English. Everything else? Gone.

On the other hand, when I went to Greece after months of preparation, I could actually use and retain the phrases because they connected to a larger, already established understanding of the language.

Traveling is a Milestone, Not a Finish Line

Travel shouldn’t be the starting point for learning a language—it should be a milestone. If you arrive with a solid foundation, the trip becomes an opportunity to cement and expand your knowledge.

Here’s how language learning can enrich your trip when you prepare properly:

  • You recognize words and structures you’ve seen before.
  • You can respond naturally instead of struggling to recall memorized phrases.
  • You can engage with locals more genuinely.

And even after you return, the learning doesn’t stop. If you continue reading, listening, and practicing, your skills will keep improving. You’ll return another time in the future with an even stronger grasp of the language, ready for another boost in your language learning journey.

Final Thoughts: Make Your Travel Experience Count

If you’re planning a trip and want to speak the language, don’t rely on short-term commitments to phrasebooks or magically absorbing the language while abroad. Instead, make an effort to learn a language for travel before you go. Build a strong vocabulary, listen to native content, and familiarize yourself with the culture.

When you arrive, you’ll actually be able to use the language—not just fumble through a phrasebook. And most importantly, the experience will motivate you to keep learning long after you return.

So, if you’re serious about using your next trip as a language-learning opportunity, start today. You’ll thank yourself when you get there.

Enjoy this post? Check out my YouTube video for more about how I plan to use travel to boost my Turkish.