TRIPS IN THE USA FOR LANGUAGE LEARNERS

Learn a Language While Driving Across America

Did you know that the United States is home to 350 different languages? Although English is the primary language, you’ll hear everything from Spanish to German, Tagalog to Cantonese on the streets.

And it’s not only from visitors. People have come into the nation via historic immigration, and their languages have come with them. Languages, as well as their culture, food, and history, are now flourishing in communities across the country.

Take in some language inspiration without having to traverse borders.

Top Language Practice Road Trips in the United States

Spanish as a Second Language in the United States
With nearly 40 million Spanish speakers, Spanish is the second most widespread language spoken in the United States behind English. There are more than in Spain!

And it’s hardly surprising, given that Mexico is only across the border. Mexico controlled certain states in the southwest until the mid-1800s.

Travel to the southern states of Florida, Arizona, Texas, or California to learn Spanish without leaving the nation.

Road Trip for Spanish Language Learners:

We recommend taking a 500-mile journey down California’s sunny Pacific coast to enjoy the ocean views, beautiful landscapes, and Spanish influences.

Begin at San Francisco and go south down the coast to Santa Barbara, Los Angeles, and San Diego, all of which are appropriately titled in Spanish. Take in Spanish colonial buildings along the route, eat tacos and enchiladas, and visit Latino communities to hear Spanish spoken on the streets.

Mission San Juan Bautista

The California coast is dotted with 21 Spanish missions dating from the mid-1700s. These missions retain a significant Spanish influence and function as both modern cultural centres and reminders and preservers of a harsh history. The missions established the prominence of Spanish architecture throughout the western United States.

More information on the missions may be found on the California Missions webpage.

Visit Los Angeles’ oldest thoroughfare, Olvera thoroughfare (Calle Olvera), where El Pueblo of Nuestra Seora Reina de los angels was founded. The neighborhood is known for its Mexican-style outdoor markets, puestos, and museums..

French as a Second Language in the United States

Over a million individuals in the United States speak French at home, including varieties such as Patois and Cajun. The largest Francophone communities may be found in Louisiana and Maine.

In the 17th century, France controlled Louisiana, sending immigration from Europe and slaves from French-speaking African nations. Their impact may still be heard in the Louisiana Creole and Cajun spoken in the area. Although the dialect differs from that heard on the streets of Paris, you should be able to comprehend what is being said.

Maine has several French-speaking settlements in the north. The state not only shares a border with French-speaking Quebec in Canada, but there are also descendants of French immigrants.

Indigenous North American Languages

Ojibwe and Navajo

Though many languages were introduced from other countries, we must not overlook Native American indigenous languages such as Navajo and Ojibwe.

Approximately 170,000 people in New Mexico and Arizona speak Navajo, the most widely spoken indigenous language in the US.

Ojibwe is spoken by around 50,000 individuals in the United States, mostly in areas along the Canadian border from Michigan through North Dakota and Montana.

Languages spoken in China in the United States

Cantonese and Mandarin

Chinese languages, including Mandarin Cantonese and other variations, have about 3 million speakers, making them the third most spoken language in the United States after English and Spanish.

The first wave of Chinese emigration to America occurred in the nineteenth century, with individuals fleeing the Taiping Rebellion in Canton (Guangdong) province.

China surpassed Mexico as the top source of immigrants to the United States in 2018, with the majority speaking Mandarin.

The majority of Chinese speakers dwell in California and New York, although sizable Cantonese and Mandarin-speaking groups may also be found in Texas, Utah, and Washington.