Language Learning Tips

Often when traveling abroad you might find yourself in a tough spot; your language isn’t spoken much nor do the locals understand it. When this happens, getting the most basic of necessities can be challenging.

Your speech may likely gravitate towards the broken down, syllabic or even an enunciation of the most fundamental English words with obligatory gestures, flailing hands and arms in a feeble attempt to communicate. Of course, that won’t necessarily mean that your point will be made, but it might get the locals assuming the exact opposite of what you originally intended your messages to mean. Avoid these and other complicated and sticky situations; learn some of the local language and survive.

As with most international travelers, you might be hard pressed to find the time to learn even the basics of a new language. However, learning full sentences or even fragments might not be necessary. Getting by with a few simple words is usually enough to get the locals to understand your message. The key is to find a way to pinpoint the right words to communicate effectively.

For example, at times you might need to use the restroom. And you might find that the local toilets are not in the places you’d expect, so you’ll definitely need to learn what the local word for restroom is. It might be that you’ll have to learn to pantomime the movements for going to the restroom in order to get your point across. But learning the the actual word would save you the embarrassment.

Stop is another useful word to learn, especially if you’re planning to use the local transport services. You might have your own local bus system down pat, but the bus systems where you’re traveling might not work the same way. Gesturing the word stop might be easier that it sounds. Worst case scenario, your gestures might be misconstrued as drunkenness or disrupting and the police might get involved.

You’ll want to become familiar with the names of the local cuisine. This author once knew someone traveling throughout southern Asia. He was not a pork eater, despising the thought of it. As he was dining in a restaurant, he reminded the waiter that he didn’t want pork. Upon thinking about the order, the waiter asked “Moo?” Naturally the pork abstaining friend agreed. Unfortunately my friend was in Thailand, where the word “moo” means “pork.”

The two most important words to add to your list to learn are “yes” and “no.” Sure you can get by with a shake or a nod, but you’ll only get so far with those gestures. For example, someone may ask you questions requiring a “yes” or a “no” response. But if you’re needing to be specific in communicating whether or not you want something, like in the restaurant example above, then you’ll avoid the confusion and heartache of not communicating clearly even with these basic words.

There is no greater way to immerse yourself in another country’s culture than through their locals. By learning words like “hello”, “excuse me” and “thank you”, you’ll win their hearts and minds. Polite and courteous people always make friends no matter where they go or where they’re from. Take the time to learn as many local words as possible. Your journey will be much more easy going and could quite possibly keep you out of trouble at the same time.