IF you have retired as a middle executive by the age of 40 and you are earning your pension already, then you can embark on a world tour already and be a professional linguist. Try to drop by Spain as your first country in the travel itinerary. Spain is where the Spanish language has its origin. Hispanics and Latinos, who make up the most minorities in the United States, take Spanish as their native tongue. So therefore, learning Spanish is just like learning a familiar language.

Of course, there are lots of Spanish language schools in the United States and they are as excellent as their Spanish counterparts but nothing beats embarking on a world tour and stopping by a country where the only language used and spoken is Spanish itself. I mean, there are no American English-speaking people in Spain. Of course, majority of them understand and speak English but with a British accent. That is not uncommon since British make the most of the foreign tourists in Spain, especially in the Mediterranean areas as well as in territories off the coast such as the Balearic and the Canary Archipelagoes.

Once you’re in Spain, you can choose which city you want to stay in. There are Spanish language schools in Madrid but that’s too boring admittedly since it is just the Spanish capital. There’s Barcelona and the most compelling tourist attraction there is L’Aquarium where all you need to do is look at the swimming fish in the ceiling – literally. Or you may want to go to Valencia where real estate tourism development there is currently in full swing. There are two summer activities for the next two years which are the reason why Valencia is in such a renovation mode. The two major events are the Spanish Grand Prix in the Formula One car race and the world’s premier sailing event, the Americas Cup.

Or maybe you want to go exotic and learn Spanish at the language school located in either of the Balearic or Canary Islands. In the Balearic, you can choose to be in Ibiza or in Palma del Mallorca. These are very good places to visit. In the Canaries, you can choose to either be in Tenerife or in Las Palmas. One of the most beautiful sites in Tenerife is going to its dormant volcano Mt. Teide via a cable car ride. There’s even one ride there which is booked entirely by the Spanish language school. Sessions are held while the cable is transporting you to the exotic Mt. Teide national park.

Or you may want to learn French and go either to Canada or France. If you’re coming from the United States, going to Paris may admittedly be a little more expensive than just going to Montreal. After all, you don’t need a visa going to Canada but you definitely need one going to France. But it definitely is worth your money. Paris has the most number of intellectual people in the planet and once you’ve mastered your French, you can immediately befriend the locals and engage yourselves in an intelligent conversation.