Many people hesitate to try and speak in a foreign language. This
might be because they don't want to feel foolish, are worried
about how they will sound, are scared of sounding silly and so
on. As a result, they remain resolutely monolingual during any
trip abroad, preferring to speak loudly in English. These are the
same people who are clever, articulate and never lost for words
when speaking in English. The same people who are achievers in
other areas of life.
But why? It may be because many people stop learning (or never
start) languages when leaving school and when they travel abroad
have only haunting memories of having to learn lists of words or
conjugate verbs. Yuk. It could also be because many foreign
language courses are detailed, promise a lot and require to much
time. Anyway, let's cut to the chase. Who has the time or
inclination to spend months learning Spanish / French / German or
any other language when planning a three day visit?
Well, maybe things have moved on or maybe not as regards language
learning when still at school. I don't know, but I do know that
it is fun and possible to learn some basic language for when you
travel.
By basic, I mean basic. How to start? Learn a few key words. For
example, 'hello', 'goodbye', 'please', 'thankyou'. These are
words that you will hear all the time and be able to use all the
time. Learn them and say them as often as possible. It is a great
confidence booster to do this, and once you can do this you have
cleared the first hurdle.
I'm suggesting that it is always worth learning these key words
because you will almost certainly have a better holiday. Try
them out. Taxi drivers and waiters are great and will almost
always respond positively. The moment you attempt to speak in
another language you stop being a number to them and become a
human being.
Almost always you will receive a positive reaction. In some
cases, especially with shop-keepers it takes longer, (a few
days) but most will crack eventually and reward you with some
recognition that you are not just another tourist.
So, here we are, you can now speak ten or so words fluently. A
good start but perhaps it might be fun to learn a few more and
so how about some numbers. Start with 'one', 'two', 'three'.
Remember that the goal is not fluency, or obsessing about
finishing what you start (like having to count to ten) but to
have a little fun and communicate.
Everyone buys drinks on holiday. This is an ideal occasion to use
the numbers you know. It doesn't matter if you ask for the
drinks in English. The important thing is to use the opportunity
to ask for the number of drinks in the foreign language, or to
confirm the number of drinks ordered.
Feeling inspired move onto a few phrases. A good one is 'that was
delicious', assuming of course that you have chosen a good
restaurant, and it is amazing how appreciative and surprised the
owners will be.
Decide in advance what you are going to say. If you are getting a
bus or if you are going to take a taxi learn 'one ticket' or
whatever you will need, but keep it simple.
Start with the simplest phrase you can imagine. A common mistake
is to make sentences in a foreign language more complicated than
necessary. For example, instead of saying 'could you tell me
where the beach is?', it is easier to say 'where is the beach?'.
In other words skip out the non-essential.
So, don't be shy, learn ten, twenty or thirty words and a few
phrases and make sure you use them.
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