Or, the art of point and shout.
The joy of travel is being able to experience different cultures, and immersing yourself in alien lands. However, no-one said it was going to be easy, and communication can be a real trial, especially when you don’t speak a word of the mother tongue. In this case it’s tough, but not impossible, particularly if you use a few techniques to cross the language barrier.
Learn a few words if at all possible
If travelling through a series of countries, it is often impractical to be properly conversant in every language you need. However a little can go a long way. If you can only learn one phrase, then “I’m sorry, I do not speak [insert language], do you speak English?” is the one. It at least shows you’ve made a tiny bit of effort, and whoever you’re speaking to is likely to appreciate this, trying as hard as they can to communicate back. Yes, no, please and thank you are also helpful.
Be clear, but humble
The classic thing people do when there is a communication breakdown is to just shout louder. This makes no difference at all, but enunciating properly will do. If you have a strong accent, try your best to tone it down so that the words sound more like what the person you are trying to talk to will have heard while being taught. It’s also important not to mistake clarity for authority. Nobody wants to have instructions barked at them, but human nature mostly dictates that we’ll instinctively come to the aid of someone who sounds apologetic and helpless.
Point and gesture like crazy
Charades skills definitely come in handy when in a strange land, and it’s far easier to just point at the cake you want than attempt to describe the chocolate flakes and cherry sauce. It’s not just the pointing that counts, though – be prepared to look like an idiot with all manner of actions. Simulated front crawl will get you to the beach, resting your head on your hands and closing your eyes will get you to your hotel and circling your arms whilst going: “Choooo-choooo!” will get you to the train station. Eventually.
Don’t be afraid to use English
In general, we are exceptionally lucky that English is the world’s second language. We may feel very guilty for not speaking anything else, but sometimes you need to endure the cultural cringe in order to get what you need. By no means everyone speaks English, but the spread of it as a tool of doing business is rapid. Mongolia, for example, recently made it an official language of the country. More to the point, many people you speak to will be eagerly trying to improve their English, and while you’re squirming with embarrassment, they will be actively glad to speak to someone who speaks with a native tongue.
Remember it’s their job
It’s horribly arrogant to look at it this way, but whether it’s the waiter in the café, the woman in the train station ticket booth or the hotel receptionist, it is their job to serve you, the customer. As much as you’d like it to be a conversation between equals, they are the one that should be bending over backwards to help, as they want your money, and further down the line, their wages. That means they’re usually going to try their best to understand what you say, unless you do it exceptionally rudely.
Explore on foot
It’s very easy to get disorientated if you’re whizzing around on public transport from place to place, especially if on underground train systems. If you take the time and shoe leather to explore on foot, though, you pick up many little things, some consciously, some sub-consciously. Pictures in shop windows, posters and adverts can all help put something in context even if the words mean nothing to you. There will also be plaques and information boards that you won’t see on the bus. They may have translations, if not into English, then into a language you understand a pinch of.
Read road signs
It’s surprising how much you can pick up of an alien language merely by wandering the streets and reading the signs. It doesn’t take long before you start spotting a pattern that you can later use to your advantage. For example, the suffix –brücke in Germany or prefix ponte- in Italy means bridge. See a few signs with them on, and you know you’re near the river. The same applies for shops – it won’t take too long to work out what’s a bakery and what’s an ice cream parlour if you look at the sign and then at the produce.
Make friends with the cash register
One of the most awkward shopping situations is handing something over the counter, then getting an indeterminable babble back. Most transactions can be done wordlessly, though. Hand it over, and then crane your head so that you can see the number on the cash register or computer screen. Those digital displays can save a lot of painful hassle. If there are no numbers, there are two methods. The first is handing over the biggest note you have – making sure you look as though you did understand how much the salesman said, so he doesn’t try to rip you off – and then collecting the change, checking that it’s about right. The other option is to whip a pen and paper out of your pocket, and get them to write it down.
Don’t travel with a linguist
Obviously this doesn’t apply if the linguist in question is fluent in the language of the country you’re in; there your friend should be invaluable. No, the problem comes when you go somewhere they’re just as lost in as you are. People who are good with languages tend to take a pride in getting it right, and the shame of not speaking any of the necessary language often overtakes the need to get something done. You’ll be left sorting everything out while he or she stares at a wall, refusing to risk looking like an oafish, uncultured fool.
Take a good guidebook
This is remarkably obvious, but easily overlooked. It’s got maps in, so you don’t have to ask for directions; it’s got descriptions so you don’t have to ask what everything is; it’s got addresses so you don’t have to ask which street the hotel is on. More importantly, though, it has plenty of things you can point at, including a list of useful phrases at the back.
Copyright David Whitley
