From Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International you can reach Bogotá, Lima, Port-au-Prince, Guatemala City or Madrid with a single flight. Locals already hear Spanish, Haitian Creole and Portuguese every day in Broward. A trip is the perfect excuse to learn more than "gracias".
Aim for useful, not perfect
You do not need fluent grammar to have a better trip. Focus on greetings, numbers, ordering food, asking for directions and saying you do not understand. Those few dozen phrases cover most of what travelers need.
Ten minutes a day beats an hour on Sunday
Short daily lessons stick better than long cram sessions. Apps like Babbel are built around 10 to 15 minute lessons, which fit into a coffee break or a commute on the Brightline. Rosetta Stone takes an immersive approach with speech recognition that checks your pronunciation.
Practice out loud
- Order your cafecito in Spanish at a local ventanita.
- Change your phone language for a week.
- Watch a show you know well with the audio switched to your new language.
- Use speech practice in your app instead of only tapping answers.
Protect your devices before you go
Airport and hotel Wi-Fi networks are convenient but not always safe. A security suite with a VPN encrypts your connection so you can check your bank or email on the road with fewer worries.
Start a month before you fly, and you will land with enough confidence to try.
