Why you should try learning a language on your work commute

A recent report released in July 2019 by the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) survey, showed that our average weekly commuting time has jumped considerably since 2002, and Aussie workers are now spending an average of 66 minutes per day, or 4.5 hours per week, getting to and from work.

Have you ever thought about what you could actually be doing with that time, particularly if you’re driving to work and stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic?

While there is never a shortage of entertainment options thanks to Spotify, podcasts, and audiobooks, our daily commute can also provide an excellent opportunity for us to learn a new language!

Instead of yelling at the guy who cut you off in English, why not yell at him in Spanish, or French, or German? There’s nothing like a stern word behind the wheel in German at 7am to get your morning going.

Stern words aside, using your commute time to learn a second, or maybe even a third language, allows you to tick something off the bucket list, and maybe even help you prepare for that dream holiday you’ve booked to Spain!

And if you’re feeling a little self-conscious about having to repeat words out loud and how it would look to other drivers (I personally embrace the audience as I give them Spotify concerts while driving), never fear, because it’s actually SCIENCE that listening to a new language will help you just as much as saying it out loud.

Research has shown listening may be the best way to learn, as well as one of the most beneficial methods, regardless of how you usually prefer to learn a language. Being exposed to your new spoken language helps the brain absorb it, even if you’re not quite up to understanding what’s being said. Listening also helps our brains adapt to unfamiliar pronunciations and new grammar structures.

So why not be your own human experiment and get cracking on learning something new?
From apps to audiobooks, there’s a huge range of resources readily available at our fingertips and you’ll be saying “Io so parlare Italiano” in no time at all!

Paul Noble’s language course audiobooks are some of the most popular, and top rated, on Audible, with courses in Italian, French, Spanish, German, and Mandarin Chinese. There’s over 12 hours of content so you’ll be driving and speaking a new language in no time at all.

There’s also a complete “next step” series by Paul Noble available, for when you’ve conquered the beginning stages of your new vocabulary.

Of course, there’s plenty more courses available out there, all you have to do is a quick search on iBooks or Audible to find what you desire.

While audiobooks are a safer – and not to mention convenient – way to learn a language during your daily commute, should you find yourself in a carpool where you’re the passenger there’s also a number of apps available to get you speaking a new language. Duolingo, Memrise, and Babbel are all readily available to download, so why not get the whole carpool speaking something new!

Related: New study finds most Aussies enjoy their daily work commute

Related: Five audiobooks for long drives

Related: Why I decided to face my fear of driving a manual car