Departure preparation for your working holiday (the full guide)

Going on a working holiday is often an opportunity to learn a new language—French, Spanish or Japanese, for example.

There’s nothing like a full immersion to make progress in a new language! That said, it may be a good idea to learn a few basics before you leave so that you can get by and find a job more easily (if you want to work, of course).

Apart from the practical aspects of day-to-day life, having some basic knowledge of the language will allow you to interact with local people, and this is one of the best parts of a working holiday adventure.

Cultural immersion

Watching a series or film in its original version (even with subtitles) or listening to music will help you get used to French or Spanish (for example). Once you’re there, you’ll be less surprised by accents and speech patterns. You’ll make progress without even realizing it!

Similarly, listening to music, and reading newspapers or blogs in another language will help you learn basic vocabulary.

Another advantage of this exercise is that you’ll start to get a feel for the culture of the country, which can be useful when you’re preparing to embrace another way of life.

Apps

Applications such as Duolingo or Babbel are fun ways to learn a language.

You can make progress from home at your own pace! Using an app, even for just a few minutes a day, will help you discover a new language and learn basic words and expressions.

Language course

One of the classic ways of learning a language is to take a course, whether online or in person.

Taking a course will help you learn sentence structure and conjugation. However, you should try to find teachers who put a lot of emphasis on oral expression. That’s what you’ll need most in everyday life.