If you ask your family, your friends, or even a stranger what they prefer about traveling, they will most likely say that it is the adventure, the exploration of new lands, but in particular the discovery of other cultures.
Indeed, every country is filled with its own history, its culture is recognizable through its architecture, its food, its art and finally its people. Of course we can acquire vast knowledge on a country by informing ourselves on its history, its monuments etc. Today, thanks to Internet this type of research is available to everyone. However, the most interesting things are immersing yourself in the atmosphere of a country, meeting the inhabitants and having the opportunity to converse with them. It offers us a different view of the world, a more authentic view.
And this is where language skills become a great asset. The language itself is the essence of a culture, we can see it by taking a look at idiomatic expressions, which exist in any language and cannot be literally translated. It is funny to note for example that if the French “filent à l’anglaise” the English “take a French leave”. Speaking a foreign language, even if you do not master it, is certainly one of the most beautiful ways to discover the world.
