Speaking local language when travellng
Discussion
When you are travelling to a foreign country, say, Europe, do you make an attempt to speak the local language or can it reasonably be expected for the people there to speak English? If so, how do you encourage them to speak english with you?
Also, do you pronounce foreign word in the native language or rather in English ("Parris" rhymhing with "D.R. Harris" rather that "Pa-ree" ryming with "Ali (G)")?
Also, do you pronounce foreign word in the native language or rather in English ("Parris" rhymhing with "D.R. Harris" rather that "Pa-ree" ryming with "Ali (G)")?
)I always try and learn a few basics, even if it's just "hello", "please", "thank you", "beer", "toilet", "pay the bill", etc. My German is good and I can converse and I've started picking up a bit of Greek from Mrs Toon which was used and appreciated on my holidays last week. Most places will be just fine if you speak in English. To be honest, most places know you won't be able to speak their language but a simple please and thank you shows you've made an effort and they will treat you a bit nicer in a lot of cases.
As above, often the French will pretend they don't speak English but I can be bullish when pushed so I insist. I'm off to Strasbourg with work next month and then Chamonix in Feb so I'll get to test this out first hand again.
As above, often the French will pretend they don't speak English but I can be bullish when pushed so I insist. I'm off to Strasbourg with work next month and then Chamonix in Feb so I'll get to test this out first hand again.
Always try to learn basic stuff like please and thank you. Even the French appreciate the effort and will be more likely to admit to speaking some English than if you start off in English. I just feel it's rude to to at least attempt a bit.
The Dutch switch to English as soon as I open my mouth though
The best I've seen was a German guy who came to UK bike meet and had a little laminated picture book he could flick through and find a picture of a sandwich and a cup of coffee if he didn't know the words. Sadly his book didn't include brake pads when he needed some so we needed to help him out on that one
The Dutch switch to English as soon as I open my mouth though
The best I've seen was a German guy who came to UK bike meet and had a little laminated picture book he could flick through and find a picture of a sandwich and a cup of coffee if he didn't know the words. Sadly his book didn't include brake pads when he needed some so we needed to help him out on that one
I regard it as just being polite to at least say please and thank you in what ever country you are in.
My son married a German girl while stationed there in the Army. Their children were born and brought up in Germany, so we’re bi-lingual from birth. My Granddaughter has stayed and made Germany her home, married a German and my Gt Grandsons are Germans. The boys have had no reason to speak English. It was only after starting a Grammar school that the eldest boy’s English has become very good.
Naturally I spend a lot of time in Germany, but all I can do is order drinks, find my way around a menu and say please and thank you. Where ever we go they speak English.
My son married a German girl while stationed there in the Army. Their children were born and brought up in Germany, so we’re bi-lingual from birth. My Granddaughter has stayed and made Germany her home, married a German and my Gt Grandsons are Germans. The boys have had no reason to speak English. It was only after starting a Grammar school that the eldest boy’s English has become very good.
Naturally I spend a lot of time in Germany, but all I can do is order drinks, find my way around a menu and say please and thank you. Where ever we go they speak English.
Exoticlover said:
When you are travelling to a foreign country, say, Europe, do you make an attempt to speak the local language or can it reasonably be expected for the people there to speak English? If so, how do you encourage them to speak english with you?
Also, do you pronounce foreign word in the native language or rather in English ("Parris" rhymhing with "D.R. Harris" rather that "Pa-ree" ryming with "Ali (G)")?
I always do my best to learn at least some of the lingo.Also, do you pronounce foreign word in the native language or rather in English ("Parris" rhymhing with "D.R. Harris" rather that "Pa-ree" ryming with "Ali (G)")?
I also love doing my best allo allo accents. I've found that e.g. en Francais or Auf Deutsch, trying to pronounce like you're speaking their language, rather than trying to pronounce as if their language is also English does a much better job of both being understood, and not looking like a typical British tourist.
Exoticlover said:
do you make an attempt to speak the local language or can it reasonably be expected for the people there to speak English? If so, how do you encourage them to speak english with you?
How can it reasonably be expected that the person in the non-English speaking country that you are visiting speaks English with you? I don't think it can or should be.I've just spent some time in a part of Spain where very little English is spoken/understood and I know very little Spanish - but that's my problem, not theirs and it was down to me to make the effort in order to get where I wanted to be or to eat/drink what I wanted. I was in France the week before and it was just the same, and rightly so.
User name doesn't check out...
MarkJS said:
How can it reasonably be expected that the person in the non-English speaking country that you are visiting speaks English with you? I don't think it can or should be.
Because like it or not it's becoming the defacto international language. If a Spaniard wants to talk to a Romanian the chances are they'll do it in English. The French are very protective of thier language, but a lot of countries with less common languages seem to be actively encouraging it, eg loads of courses at Dutch universities are taught in English because they want the revenue from foreign students.I still agree it's rude to just assume everyone speaks English, although in NL it seems rude asking someone if they speak English as it's almost like asking someone if they can read and write
SAS Tom said:
I’ll make an effort with the help of Google translate. Makes things much easier.
Google Translate has definitely made things a lot easier, it even coped with the Norwegian Herring Caning museum Tip: have Google Translate or similar ready and available for typing words, phrases and sentences.
It is definitely helpful to have a working knowledge of a local language and engage in that language. It's good fun, too.
However, IMO if you don't speak a language at all and then make out that you do with a local, even if it is just a basic question like "may I have an espresso coffee please?" or "do you stock xyz" etc, then you risk this backfiring and thereby getting yourself into a pickle when the person speaks back at you in their native tongue and you don't have a clue what they're saying and thus no means of response other than sheepish giggling and naive tourist abroad laughter, and speaking broken English in the vain hope they understand your grunting, gurning and hand/arm gestures.
As an example of trying to (respectfully!) engage albeit through an alternative method, on holiday once in Ankara I went to a small supermarket, accompanied by a fellow non-Turkish speaker, as we were getting ingredients for the next day's breakfast. Neither of us spoke Turkish bar the odd word.
We wanted 200g of minced lamb and so I just typed that request into Google Translate, then greeted the butcher in Turkish and read what was on my screen as an attempted further form of respect, whilst showing my phone screen to him. Was easy to thank one another in Turkish afterwards. I'm sure he appreciated it.
I'd imagine it should be obvious to anyone local that you don't speak the language when you have to engage in that way, but at least youll have made an effort and, as per the above, they will likely appreciate it.
I think it's a bit disrespectful to expect it to be a given that everyone speaks English and just reel off at the locals in one's own language without in this day and age having tried to engage using technology, given how readily available, beneficial and easy to use it is. We have these modern conveniences but many don't use them or forget they're there!
Plus, if they want or need to engage back then you can always potentially get them to type back into the translator, and that way still be able communicate with one another, giving you a better immersed experience and not having to limit yourself to and not McDonalds and duff coffee from Starbucks.
It is definitely helpful to have a working knowledge of a local language and engage in that language. It's good fun, too.
However, IMO if you don't speak a language at all and then make out that you do with a local, even if it is just a basic question like "may I have an espresso coffee please?" or "do you stock xyz" etc, then you risk this backfiring and thereby getting yourself into a pickle when the person speaks back at you in their native tongue and you don't have a clue what they're saying and thus no means of response other than sheepish giggling and naive tourist abroad laughter, and speaking broken English in the vain hope they understand your grunting, gurning and hand/arm gestures.
As an example of trying to (respectfully!) engage albeit through an alternative method, on holiday once in Ankara I went to a small supermarket, accompanied by a fellow non-Turkish speaker, as we were getting ingredients for the next day's breakfast. Neither of us spoke Turkish bar the odd word.
We wanted 200g of minced lamb and so I just typed that request into Google Translate, then greeted the butcher in Turkish and read what was on my screen as an attempted further form of respect, whilst showing my phone screen to him. Was easy to thank one another in Turkish afterwards. I'm sure he appreciated it.
I'd imagine it should be obvious to anyone local that you don't speak the language when you have to engage in that way, but at least youll have made an effort and, as per the above, they will likely appreciate it.
I think it's a bit disrespectful to expect it to be a given that everyone speaks English and just reel off at the locals in one's own language without in this day and age having tried to engage using technology, given how readily available, beneficial and easy to use it is. We have these modern conveniences but many don't use them or forget they're there!
Plus, if they want or need to engage back then you can always potentially get them to type back into the translator, and that way still be able communicate with one another, giving you a better immersed experience and not having to limit yourself to and not McDonalds and duff coffee from Starbucks.
I was going to say, we have never had more access to translation capabilities than we do now! Definitely have a go, having lived in Paris for a few years I have observed the difference in how people interact with non-French depending on how much effort they put in to not only speak some words, but also understand cultural nuances and roll with those too. There is no problem, and dont be nervous, of running out of words when the conversation stays on their language, in fact it shows how much they understood what you originally said which is a good thing!
Stuart70 said:
RizzoTheRat said:
Google Translate has definitely made things a lot easier, it even coped with the Norwegian Herring Caning museum
Agreed on Google Translate, as long as there is mobile reception.Not sure why you would want to cane a herring though; what had it done?
RizzoTheRat said:
If a Spaniard wants to talk to a Romanian the chances are they'll do it in English.
I know the point you were trying to make and probably picked these two at random, but there is a lot of similarity between spanish and romanian apparently; I've just moved to Romania and a lot of the locals seem to understand and speak it pretty well.RizzoTheRat said:
MarkJS said:
How can it reasonably be expected that the person in the non-English speaking country that you are visiting speaks English with you? I don't think it can or should be.
Because like it or not it's becoming the defacto international language. If a Spaniard wants to talk to a Romanian the chances are they'll do it in English. The French are very protective of thier language, but a lot of countries with less common languages seem to be actively encouraging it, eg loads of courses at Dutch universities are taught in English because they want the revenue from foreign students.I've spent quite a bit of time in some places off the British tourist beaten track and you'd get by far better by being able to speak French or Spanish than English.
Gassing Station | Holidays & Travel | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff