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Why Traveling is the Purest Form of Education

4/30/2019

 
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Is traveling the purest form of education? Without a doubt, it is. My experience as a traveling single mother of two has taught me that there are tons of information and knowledge out there waiting to be tapped into, most of which a four-walled classroom will never satisfactorily provide to its learners. I have traveled both locally and overseas and that has helped me to grow as a person and to see the world with an enhanced optimism. My kids, on the other hand, have had a chance to interact with many different people and cultures and that has opened their minds to great opportunities, now and in the future. 

Unlike a classroom that confines learners to only the knowledge that textbooks provide (some of which is inaccurate), the world out there is one big pool of raw, undistorted data. The more you quench your thirst for knowledge in this pool, the more you realize how thirsty you are for more and more. What’s more, traveling is a fun form of education which doesn’t require you to sit for exams every now and then. And again, where else can you study as you vacation? 
 
Technology has made traveling easier and cheaper than ever before. Like in my case, I’m able to backpack across continents together with my kids with an unimaginably small budget. Vacation rentals are everywhere nowadays so accommodation isn’t an issue anymore while blogging and YouTubing has grown to become reliable income sources for travelers. If you are anything like me, therefore, you will be able to travel the world with only a camera, a laptop, a versatile bag, and anything else that you feel is essential for your traveling.
 
I know what you are probably asking yourself right now: Are there other solid reasons that would convince me to leave everything behind and follow the wind all over the world? Well, here are the 5 reasons that qualify traveling as the purest form of education:
 
1.         History is most real when you travel
 
If you are a history enthusiast like my kids and me, you will find traveling very fulfilling and fun. Everything you have read in your school library is a tiny part of a greater puzzle that is the history of the world. Do you want to understand British history in the rawest form? Just visit London; walk around its streets and visit different museums. Do you want to learn more about slavery? Visit West Africa, the Caribbean, and the USA and talk firsthand to the descendants of the slaves. In a nutshell, you will understand the history of a people by interacting with them and sharing in their pain.
 
2.         A road to self-discovery
 
For those who travel purely for vacation purposes, traveling is a bed of roses whose extravagance and glamour is to be admired. But this isn’t entirely the case. Traveling with the aim of learning takes you to places that you can’t fathom as of now. You will meet people who live in abject poverty, societies that were destroyed by civil war or diseases, as well as people who have experienced the worst form of tribalism, ethnicity, and religious intolerance. I have seen all these; I have volunteered to help where I could. At the end of it all, I have developed a stronger sense of resilience, tolerance, courage, and patience. My kids have discovered strengths, passions, and interests no one would have thought they had. If life is a school, traveling is, indeed, the best class to be in.
 
3.         Boosting your social skills
 
Social skills, social development, and a host of other courses taught in high schools and colleges are good at boosting the learner’s confidence, but they cannot beat traveling at that. Traveling necessitates inner confidence that helps you to ask for directions from strangers, speak foreign languages even when you understand very little of it, and trust people you probably could not have trusted had you been home. The practicality of traveling boosts your social skills in ways you can never imagine.
 
4.         You learn new languages
 
Forget translation apps and the foreign language classes you’ve been attending. Traveling and interacting with a language right from its source is invaluable. If you want to learn French, book a vacation rental in Paris and spend some time with French native speakers. During summer, If you want to master English and yet want to visit some of the best beaches in the US, I would recommend visiting Florida. You will learn the official language, the slang, the exact pronunciation, accent, and much nitty-gritty that your teacher cannot teach you. My teenage son speaks 5 international languages fluently and can get along with about ten others, yet he has never been to any language class.
 
5.         You understand the grandeur of nature
 
Are you a nature enthusiast? How many conferences on global warming, nature conservation, air pollution, and climate change have you attended? As many as they could be, their combined value can never exceed the value of a trip to regions affected by all those things. You cannot appreciate the importance of wildlife conservation until you visit Africa, for example, and discover how poaching is swiftly wiping wild species from the surface of the earth.
 
Author Bio: Laura is a marketing specialist at SEOforX. She helps her company advertise its products and services and she has a thorough knowledge on developing marketing approaches for products and brands. Besides being a marketing specialist she has a special interest in financial technology. She finds Fintech fascinating and writes about how the new technology is being used to improve activities in the finance sector.

What Are the Benefits of Having English as Your Second Language?

4/17/2019

 
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The latest figures show that out of the estimated 7.5 billion people on Earth, 1.5 billion individuals speak English. For those who are looking to adopt a new language, studying English as a second language is a wise choice for this reason alone. Knowing English can be useful in a variety of everyday situations. From business to travel, to daily conversations or consuming media, it is easy to run into situations where the language is important to know. It is also helpful to learn English from native speakers to have the best grasp of correct vocabulary and pronunciation.

If you are considering taking a trip to the United States to learn English as a second language, explore three reasons to do so.

It is spoken in many countries around the globe

Whether studying castles in English history during a university course, or traveling the world, one will quickly find that English is spoken almost everywhere. In fact, English is the official language of about 50 countries. This makes it the third most popular language among the entire global population. From islands such as Barbados and Antigua, to countries such as New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Australia, and the United States, it is easy to find English speakers. Knowing the language becomes even more crucial, then, for those who plan to travel the world for leisure, business, or both.

Over 1 billion people speak English as a second language

It may come as a surprise to know that of the 1.5 billion global English speakers, over 1 billion speak it as a second language. Only 400 million are said to have English as their first language. Across all continents, it is common to run into individuals who can hold even basic conversations in the language. Therefore, because of how useful and ubiquitous it has become, it is no surprise that so many individuals choose English as their secondary language. If you choose English as your second language, you will be joining a large global group who has already done so.

It is a valuable skill for employment

Currently, over 50% of the world’s population can speak at least two languages. With the persistent increase in globalization, it is becoming more important than ever before to be able to communicate with people around the world. This is especially true for those who work in businesses that have international employees or clients. Rather than having to hire translators, companies are continuously looking for employees who can speak multiple languages to assist with day-to-day business. Individuals who know more than one language (especially if one of those languages is English) can expect to have better job opportunities than those who do not.

Speaking English as a second language has many significant benefits. Whether you are looking to use your knowledge for fun and travel, or to gain an advantage in your career, learning English can be an extremely helpful tool.



​Author Bio: Karoline left her corporate job to spend more time with her family and indulge in her passions of writing and travel. She now works as a freelance writer, offering advice and tips on a range of topics.​

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