The importance of being multilingual should not be overlooked by frequent travellers. It becomes essential in some parts of the globe, just like your passport or mobile. Learning a new language reaps benefits beyond the reach of tourist maps, guides etc…  Books and internet are of no use when you have to negotiate prices with a street vendor who doesn’t speak your native tongue.
There are many official excuses about why you should avoid learning a few foreign languages. Most excuses include being too busy or too lazy. Nevertheless, we have come up with a few reasons why you shouldn’t excuse yourself from enriching your travel experience through leaning a language.

Learning any foreign language is easy:
Learning any foreign language with VLLC is much easier than it sounds. It can be accomplished much more quickly than you expect. The key is to know what you want. You don’t have to be proficient enough to write poetry and you don’t have to be intimidated by the strange looking alphabets and never ending grammatical rules. For starters, you don’t have to be fluent in the language to survive in any country. The ability to communicate and have a decent understanding of the language goes a long way. Learning a language specifically for travel can include relevant vocabulary in a short period of time is really possible with VLLC.

Learning local language makes life easy:
When you speak their language, you can have a far more valuable experience with the locals. Knowing how to order food and drinks at hotels alone can save you money. It’s logistically easier to navigate a city through trains, buses or walking, when you know some basics in the language. You can also protect yourself from scams more readily if you speak their language as you do when you speak only English. Being able to speak the local language helps you to be accepted more readily for the most part. Not looking like an Uber-tourist in any foreign land has its benefits. Learning a few words to enable you to ask for directions doesn’t demand too much preparation.

Language is the gateway to culture:
If you have ever tried learning a foreign language, you would know language isn’t the only thing you would absorb. Along with the language, you would learn some history and culture of the country. Even being able to read a passage in a short story would open your mind to various aspects of culture or folklore. Some cultural values would appeal to you and stay forever. Difference in the depth of understanding of a poem or story would vary with the way you learn it. Reading mere translations and reading the original passage would show the difference. Foreign music can also take your experience to a whole new level.

Local language keeps loneliness at bay:
It’s common to feel lonelier when you are away from home. Homesickness can creep in subtly. When you know the language, you can make friends more easily. Sharing a story is a lot better than just a smile. Developing lasting relationships in a safe and pleasant manner can be a real life changing experience. Knowing the local language gives you more options to do something interesting than just following the run of mill tourist plan.  Your ability to experience local life in a new country would increase dramatically. There wouldn’t be any need to resort to the lonely international traveller lifestyle.