Let’s talk about language barriers! When clients discuss potential trips with me, may it be Italy, Mexico or Thailand, most people ask a similar question: “Do I need to learn the local language?” or they will mention, “I’m nervous about finding my way around, will people speak English?” The best answer that I have…is to not expect everyone to speak English. After all, you’re the one visiting their country, right?
If we all stayed home and worried about not being able to speak to each other, we’d never even start to try and understand each others cultures. Which should be a major reason that we travel to new and exciting places- leaving behind our own world and all of the comforts that come along with it. Languages for me are a big, wonderful insight to a foreign destination. I try my hardest to learn at least a greeting, how to thank someone and how to bid someone farewell. I find it’s always best to first learn the “formal” way for each of these, then you can learn the slang- which will definitely give the locals a laugh!
People are very appreciative and will respond with kindness when you try to speak their language. It’s not about perfecting the accent. Just be present, try and connect with the people in the destination that you’re visiting. It’s a rewarding experience that I’m sure you will treasure when you think about your trip. When I mention to people that I lived in Italy, most people will ask what level my Italian was. Pizza, pasta, ciao bella and grazie, were basically the extent of “my Italian.” However, languages have never been something that I’ve thought to be intimidating. I was/am curious and love hearing people speak languages, watching their gestures and hearing the different tones. I remember wanting to learn Spanish after my first visit to Mexico at the young age of 11. I wanted to be able to order with confidence, to ask questions and honestly, I’m a chatty Kathy. Good conversation makes me happy. It’s something I crave. So when I’m adventuring, I want to connect with the people there.
I’m here in China now and thank goodness for the fabulous guides that I’ve had or I would seriously be missing out on some things that I’ve needed assistance or more explanations with. I won’t say that even though you try, it will come easy. Funny enough on this trip, I had a problem in my room one night, my bathroom light wouldn’t turn off. I called down to the front desk and the lady thought I was asking for laundry service. I took a deep breath, tried to phrase things differently and then more simply said things like “housekeeping”, hoping they would send someone up and I could show them what’s happening. I can’t say that it’s always been easy getting by, but I certainly have a LOT of stories that I look back on and can laugh whole heartedly. I’ve most definitely learned to not say something if you’re not completely sure of what it means hahah. I’ll leave that to your imagination.
So be patient while traveling, be open to learning phrases in other languages and be kind to people if they don’t understand you. Getting frustrated won’t get you anywhere, but a smile, some practice and some courage can get you far!
Pro tip: if you’re looking for someone to help you with directions, you may want to look for someone that is a bit younger. Those are the generations that are learning other languages and probably have studied a little of English in school.
In my next blog post, I’m going to point out some ways that you can be a better communicator while traveling abroad. I’ve never thought of writing something like this, because it seems silly, but there are very silly things out there on the internet. Hopefully this will be helpful to someone!