In addition to traveling for the sake of seeing other parts of the world with your own eyes and immersing yourself in a foreign culture, traveling can also be an incredible opportunity to learn new skills. Here are just a few.
- Immersion Classes
Is there a language you’ve always wanted to master? A language you took for a bit in high school but never spoke fluently and always wanted to? Research suggests immersion classes tend to be more effective at teaching people languages than traditional classroom methods — and what better place to take immersion classes than in a foreign country where you can immerse yourself in the language 24/7?
Because Spanish and French are the most sought after immersion experiences, click here for a list of seven adult Spanish courses in Spain and here for the best ways to learn French in France.
- Cooking Classes
Similarly to learning a language, there’s something to be said about being taught to cook food from masters of a cuisine while surrounded by the culture responsible for producing it. Learning in this manner, allows for a different sort of appreciation of the unique flavors and techniques that bring them together. Not to mention learning abroad from the source itself ensures your mastery of the correct information and procedures.
Solely because I think this would be really cool, click here for a Forbes article on the five best cooking vacations in Italy. (I really want to go to Venice.)
- Art Classes
Imagine starting your day wandering the halls of a museum filled with artwork specific to the region you’re in. Imagine staring at it. Memorizing its style. Its nuances. Identifying the themes present within it. Now imagine picking your favorite piece. The one that makes you feel alive. Maybe a little sad. Maybe a little confused. Maybe a little hopeful. Maybe a little of all three. Imagine sitting down in front of it. Yes, that’s right — the original piece. Now imagine starting a sketch of your own. Right in front of it. In one of the very halls you perused just earlier that day.
Doesn’t that sound better than taking an art class from your hometown? Doesn’t that sound more stimulating and engaging than drawing from a printed out version of the painting in a classroom? I rest my case.
Here’s a few pictures from a class I saw going on in the National Gallery in London. It warmed my heart.
This site has some great information on art classes you can take in Europe. It includes prices as well.
- Dance Classes
While it’s possible to take dance classes of all sorts where you live, classes taught in the cities from which the styles originated is quite a step up. As a former dancer, I can attest to the fact that learning from someone who grew up immersed in a certain style of dance has a different effect and can be incredibly rewarding. It provides an inside look into a culture that only someone from that culture can offer.
Even better is the fact that when in another country, you can watch performances of the genre of dance that originated there by people who’ve trained in it and been around it all their lives — talk about awe inspiring.
The same site as above also has great information on recreational dance classes all over the world. It’s got everything from authentic Flamenco classes in Barcelona to Greek dancing classes in Athens and includes prices. You can click here to check it out.
Also, because I want to do this, click here for places you can take Hulu classes in Honolulu.
There are so many ways to learn while abroad that don’t involve paying college tuition prices or going back to school, if you’ve already completed it. (Not that they’ll be cheap.) While these are just a few, I hope they get your juices flowing on things you want to learn while abroad in addition to see. 🙂
Sierra Sage 