I personally have been in so many situations where my tiny bit of language skills has saved me. Let's start with a story. This was one of my more embarrassing moments while traveling...
One thing about bathrooms in Europe is that even when men and women have separate bathrooms (which isn't always), they still have a common sink to share, which always feels a little awkward. When I went to leave the bathroom, I couldn't get the door open. It was jammed! I panicked a bit and tried locking and unlocking the door. I tried pushing and pulling, desperate to get out. I started to worry that I would be locked in there forever, but I kept shaking the door. I heard a hand dryer and I knew that there was somebody out there, so I kept shaking the door, hoping that someone would come to my rescue...
The hand dryer turned off. I pushed and pulled the door maniacally. Then I heard a man's voice, "Spanish spanish spanish spanish spanish?"
Not knowing what he said, but assuming that he was asking if the door was stuck, I searched my high school Spanish class memory bank for something to say. "Ayudame!" I whimpered. (help me).
He tried shaking the door, but I wouldn't budge. I knew it would be a long and embarrassing night.
"Spanish spanish spanish spanish spanish," which I could only assume meant something like, "I will go get help."
I didn't respond, because I had no idea how, but I assumed that he went off to find someone. I kept shaking the door. Lock, push, pull. Unlock, push, pull!
Then I surveyed the door. This did not look like an ordinary door. There were no hinges. There was an arrow on the door. An epiphany hit me...
I slid the door open.
As I exited, the nice gentleman trying to help me was walking back towards the bathroom, shadowed by a waiter. I muttered something like, "It's okay. I got out," and walked head-down back to my seat.
I have quite a few more of these types of stories where my lack of language confused me or my bit of language skills saved me. First, some good news. English is such a prevalent language that in most big cities you can survive with English alone. But never expect it. Be polite and apologetic about being an American monoglot. If you find someone who knows some English, but is not fluent, slow down, speak clearly, talk with your hands, avoid idioms, and don’t yell.
That said, I recommend learning a few words and phrases in the language of the country you are visiting. These are a good start:
hello / goodbye
please / thank you
yes/no
Do you speak English?
Excuse me.
I’m sorry.
I understand / I don’t understand
Where are the toilets?
Where is…?
How much does this cost?
When traveling it’s also really helpful to learn numbers, directions, and anything to do with food or restaurants. If you have specific needs, like food allergies, learn the appropriate words to communicate your needs and/or have a card to hand to someone.
Even with a few basic words and phrases memorized it’s important to have a quick reference. I don’t like carrying a phrasebook around with me, but instead I prefer to use apps. My favorite app is Google Translate. Not only can you type and talk into it, but there is a camera that works in real time to translate foreign text. I find it especially helpful on menus and signs. While the translations are not always perfect, they’re usually accurate enough for deciphering between ordering steak or fish. I also find it really useful for pronunciation. Download and save your needed language when you have wifi.
In addition to Google Translate, it’s also nice to have another language specific app that works without internet. Choose one that has a decent bank of vocabulary and phrases you think you’ll need.
Tip: When taking a taxi, always have the address, and maybe a corresponding map, ready to show the driver where you need to go.
I like to use travel as an excuse to learn a language. Living Language (livinglanguage.com) is a more extensive and expensive option for personal learning. This program includes books, online courses, and other resources. Duolingo (duolingo.com) and Babbel (babbel.com) are gamified language learning and practice apps that you can access any time on your phone. Another language learning app, called Innovative walks you through outlined lessons with audio and video. I especially appreciate the ability to change the speed of the audio. (innovativelanguage.com) For podcasts, the CoffeeBreak language series is fantastic. Hearing and speaking a language is generally more useful that being able to read or write it. (radiolingua.com) YouTube is another great resource. There are many video series devoted to learning a language.
For learning and practicing with real people, Italki is a showstopper. (italki.com) You can hire teachers and tutors to meet with you over Skype. My favorite facet of this website is the free community connections. Sure, there are forums, but you can also set up language exchanges. When I was living in Germany I loved these exchanges. Using Skype, emails, WhatsApp texting, or phone calls, we would take turns practicing our language. For example, I’d schedule a 30 minute phone call with a native German speaker who wanted to improve his/her English. We would spend 15 minutes conversing in English and 15 minutes conversing in German. I also really liked texting with people in German because it was a lot less intimidating than speaking on the phone, when I usually felt lost.
If you really want to become fluent in a new language check out Benny Lewis. He’s a fun-loving polyglot who offers books, videos, and courses about fast language learning, called Fluent in 3 Months. I really love his resources and his core message stresses the importance of just getting out there and going for it. (fluentin3months.com)
The most important piece of advice when it comes to traveling in a country where a different language is spoken is to just make an effort. Even if you only know how to say “hello” and “thank you”, say those words every chance you get, even to people who speak English fluently. It shows that you care about their language and culture. Sadly, Americans have often a bad reputation when traveling because they expect everyone to adapt to their own culture and language. Don’t be the ugly American. Be a kind and considerate tourist.
Do you speak any other languages other than English? Have you been in any funny or embarrassing situations because of a language barrier?