If you live in the United States, chances are good that you speak only English, at least on more than a very basic level. The lack of communication skills in a foreign language does not have to limit you to traveling only to English-speaking locations or international tours geared toward the English speaker. While it is intimidating to travel to a place where you don’t know the native language, it can be done relatively stress-free.
Here are some tips:
- Do some research. If you’re going to many places, English may be widely spoken. On a trip to Germany several years ago, I was surprised to find out that most people that I encountered spoke at least some English. Find out if this is the case where you are going.
- Learn some key phrases. In general, you should know how to express that you don’t speak the common language, and ask if the other person speaks English. You should also be able to greet people politely, to say “excuse me,” and to say “I’m sorry.” These types of phrases will show others that you’re making a good faith effort to communicate. Pimsleur makes a good audio series that can walk you through the pronunciation of useful phrases, and it may be available in your local library.
- Download a language translation app for Smartphones. Popular apps include iTranslate Voice, Google Translate and Converse. Other useful apps are Orient & AroundMe which are location finders
- Carry a travel dictionary in your target language. These contain phrases that will help you ask for directions, find out where the bathroom is, summon the police, tell a taxi driver that you need medical care, etc. They’ll also help your speaking partner find the proper English terminology if necessary.
- Take a class before you go. Whether it’s a class at your local community college or one of the free resources available online (such as LiveMocha), hearing the language spoken and learning to respond appropriately will help you when you’re immersed.
- Remember that there is more to language than words spoken; familiarizing yourself with cultural norms and expectations is, in some cases, more important than memorizing phrases.
- Once you arrive at your destination, sign up for an immersion class, particularly if you are planning to stay for longer than a week or two. You may be surprised at how quickly you can pick up the nuances of a foreign language when you are immersed in it!
- Speak the local language as much as possible. Even if you can only say, “hello, how are you?” and “Excuse me, I don’t speak French; do you speak English?”, using the words as often as you can will help you become acquainted with the language and those who speak it. As your skills improve, use the foreign words whenever you have the opportunity.
- Keep up with your learning once you return! If you’ve been able to pick up some new language skills, keep building upon them if possible. That will make your next trip to the country much less stressful. Also, some studies have shown that learning a second language makes it easier to learn a third, and so on; picking up some Italian now may make it easier to learn some Japanese later!
Traveling outside of your comfort zone and outside of the area where your native language is spoken is not for the faint of heart, but it can be done. Consider it as part of a bigger adventure!
