Travelling to different countries has become very popular over the last twenty years or so and every year more and more people book a holiday to visit some far away destination. Once only the very wealthy could afford to travel abroad but with so many good package deals available and budget airlines offering cheaper flights more people than ever take holidays abroad. The most popular destinations are Spain, France, Italy, Germany, Greece and America http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Americas. In America tourists from England will have no problems with communication as we speak the same language. Visiting a country such as Germany tourists would be well advised to study a German course (Deutschkurs) before going as not many people can speak English. Although children in Germany are taught English as a second language at school most of the older people will not be able to speak English. By attending a language school (Sprachschule) and learning how to speak German this gives people an advantage if they want to visit other countries such as Austria, Holland or Poland.

People going on holiday to Spain will not have a problem as most of the Spanish people know a little English. Also there are thousands of English people who live there permanently so the language barrier isn’t a problem. In France, Italy and Greece it is always better to know a bit of the language. Special short courses are available where holiday makers can learn a few basic phrases and words which they will find very useful. Most of these courses run during the winter months when the holiday seems a long way off. By the time the holiday comes round most of the students will have mastered simple sentences and feel more confident about communicating. There are so many languages to learn and some people manage to learn two or even three which is really good. Children in England do not have to learn another language but many do when they reach their teens and start studying for exams.

It is very difficult for foreigners when they come to the UK if they do not know any English. With so many immigrants arriving the need for good translators is essential for them to make themselves understood. The world seems to have become much smaller over the past decade as people travel abroad not just for holidays but for business purposes as well. Companies often send an employee to attend conferences that are being held abroad so knowing the spoken language is very important. An employee can be in another country within a few hours and back home again the same day which is very good for business.