One of the most frequent questions that I am asked is; is it necessary to speak a foreign language when traveling abroad? The answer really depends on several factors. First of all, where are you traveling to. If you are heading to Western Europe, then you will be fine with only speaking English. I have traveled all over Western Europe and have had little difficulty communicating with locals. (Unlike in the United States, people in other countries are typically fluent or at least proficient in more than one language and English is typically used.) One thing you will quickly discover, is that larger cities and areas that are frequented by tourists, the language barriers are much more manageable. So when you see the canals of Venice or have a cafe creme in a cafe in Paris, you should not have much trouble communicating with locals. Now as you venture off "the beaten path", you will discover that the language barrier progressively gets more challenging. People in small towns and villages, typically see less tourists and sequentially have less of a need to speak English. So when you visit some of the smaller hill towns in Tuscany or Provence, you will have a more difficult time communicating. As you travel to more exotic locals, the language barriers will certainly intensify. When I last traveled to Brazil, I was surprised at how few people spoke and understood English. Rio de Janeiro is a very cosmopolitan city, yet English speaking tourists do not frequently travel there. So me and my wife had to rely on our concierge to write down addresses on the back of hotel business cards to fully utilize the taxi system. We also relied heavily on our tour book guild to decipher menus at restaurants. In spite of these challenges, we were able to get around fine and order what we wanted without problems, and ultimately had a great time in a beautiful country. This experience was very reminiscent to my travels in India, where I had to use very similar techniques to communicate with non-English speeking Indians (there are many people in India who only speak Hindi). So to have a much smoother trip when traveling independently to an exotic locale, you should try and obtain as much foreign language skills as possible. It will make communicating much easier, but it is possible to travel to a foreign land and not speak the language. To accomplish this, you have to be very patient and dilligent in your efforts to communicate.
Personally, I believe that mastering a foreign language is very difficult, but if you cannot master a language then one needs to at least learn a few of the basic phrases before they travel abroad. These few phrases (hello, good bye, do you speak English, thank you, where can I get a cocktail, etc...) will make your trip go smoother and help you build a repore with the people you meet. It is down right rude to assume that everyone you meet speaks English. So ask if he or she does speak English before you start to ask questions in our native language. You will be amazed how a few parlez-vous or hablo or fala ingles will go over with the people you meet. Also, be very patient with the people you converse with. They may need time to process your questions before they answer. Also, enunciate your words so it is clear what you are saying. Talk slowly, so they can understand what it is you are trying to convey. Make sure to use common phrases or words for things. If you need to use the rest room ask for the toilet. If you want to take a picture say photo. Lastly, do not get discouraged if you are having trouble communicating, simply ask another person the same question. Some people are better at communicating than others. Hopefully, these tips will help you have a more pleasant and enjoyable trip.
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