Learn a few key phrases
English is one of the most commonly spoken languages worldwide. In total, 67 nations speak English as their first language and 27 have it as their official second language.
Depending on where your business travel is taking you, you might come up against a significant language barrier. In this case, it’s important to brush up on the basics.
Apps like Duolingo and Babbel are popular tools for learning the basics of a language relatively quickly — you could even check them out on the flight over. If you’re a traditionalist, you can also create some flashcards to take with you.
You shouldn’t expect to become fluent — there’s probably not enough time for that — just a core grasp of the basics is what’s needed. Being able to accurately pronounce the name of your hotel, for example, might do the trick. When locals see that you’re trying to speak their language, they’ll most likely be happy to meet you halfway.
Download offline maps
There’s nothing more stressful than getting off a flight and not having wireless reception. Not having any sense of where you’re going in a foreign location can leave you feeling incredibly vulnerable.
Luckily, tech has come to our rescue once again. Popular navigation apps like Google Maps have introduced a feature called “offline maps.” It allows you to download a map of an area while you have a connection and use it to navigate, even without Wi-Fi.
To use the offline maps, feature on your next trip:
Make sure you have the Google Maps app downloaded.
Open the app and find the relative area where you’ll be travelling to.
Navigate to the menu, and you’ll find an option to “download offline map”.
Depending on your internet connection, and the size of the area, the map might take a bit of time to download, but with it, you’ll be able to search within the map and navigate to where you need to go — all without Wi-Fi.
Download the app
Learn the local do’s and don’ts
Locals will be more receptive if they see you’re trying to integrate. But learning some key phrases is only half the battle. It’s important to know what social cues you’re giving off.
If you tend to be very loud and dramatic, this may not be received well in a more reserved culture. A behaviour or gesture that is positive in your culture may be incredibly rude in the one you’re visiting.
Taking time to learn a bit about the culture in the country you’re travelling to can help you feel more comfortable in your new surroundings.
Download a translation app
Downloading a simple, free translation app like Google Translate can make a huge difference.
Google Translate gives you the option of typing words to translate, but it also has the capability to manage vocal translations.
If you’re travelling internationally, Google Translate is a must-have.
