Round The World Tickets
Why trying the local language is so worthwhile
When you are traveling around the world you will inevitably be spending time in many countries where you know basically nothing of the local language. The good news is that you can get by speaking only English pretty much anywhere on the planet, and we are lucky enough to speak the only language this is true for. But in spite of this comforting fact, you really do owe it to yourself, as well as the locals, to try your best with at least a few phrases.
In most cases there is little point in really trying to master the local language on any kind of serious level, at least if you are only passing through for a couple weeks at the most. You’ll find that most people you’ll encounter will speak English, and as soon as they detect your accent (which they will do immediately, always), they will switch the conversation over into your language, partly as a convenience for you, and partly to speed things up for themselves. This is quite a luxury for us, but it’s still no excuse for us to not try at least a bit of the local tongue.
I admit I’ve been pretty bad about this myself, and I’m making a real effort to change my ways. One of my former worries was always that if I was somehow able to make my question understood to a local, that I would almost never understand the answer in the same language anyway. Again, in reality this is not a problem, since they’ll immediately identify your struggle with their language, and will answer back either in English, or in basic words and hand signals.
The other worry I’ve had, and this one is more realistic, is that I don’t want to sound foolish to the locals, especially if they speak my language fluently in addition to their own. But traveling around recently has made me realize how silly this is, and helped put it in perspective. Imagine the following example, and try to keep it in mind if you are hesitant to try the local tongue on your journey…
Imagine that you are dining in a restaurant in your home town, and two nearby tables are occupied by groups of foreign tourists. At one table you overhear someone ordering in a thick accent, and they say, “I am like to trying the clam chowder.” Sure, this sentence combined with a heavy accent might bring a smile to your face, but you have to give them credit for trying. Then at the next table you see the group trying to order, and they are only speaking to themselves in their own language, and pointing at the menu, hoping to be understood without ever trying any English. Which group seems more foolish in this case? The first group might have butchered our language, but the second group wouldn’t even try, and this is, unfortunately, how so many of us English speakers appear while traveling.
It’s a traveling cliché, but it’s true and worth remembering that simply trying a local phrase or two goes a long way with your guests, and in almost every case you’ll get your answer back in English anyway. The list of common phrases that is included in most guide books is enough, and at the very least you should learn hello, goodbye, thank you, and how much does this cost, and these simple words and phrases will put you ahead of the game when traveling.
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