Language problems - TravelPUNK Backpacker College Student Budget Travel Message Boards!

ergmont · 10-16-2003, 02:02 PM

I don't speak one iota of a foreign language (except, Ich heise Ergmont). How much should I be concerned about traveling around Europe speaking only English? Actually, I'm mostly concerned about Italy, Greece, Austria.

BTW, I'm headed to Europe for the first time next month and this site has been loads of help. Thanks!

**Canadian Dude** · 10-17-2003, 02:32 PM

Glad you like the site ergmont, Travelpunk has done a great job on it, I can almost call it my second home... smile

Hmmm, Language issues huh? a few solutions and facts...

You could travel to only english speaking countries? But thats no fun is it??? ::;//

I sir, speak maybe 20 words that are not english, and that i know what they mean...but things have not always been that way, When i traveled through Cuba, some of the towns i was the only person in the whole town who spoke english, everybody else spoke spanish...so if i was planning on staying in really cool small towns, i had no option but to learn and learn it quick...don't worry about nouns and verbs and sentence structure, if the person your speaking to can get a general idea of what your saying then you have successfully got your point across in a foreign tounge...it may sound a little brash, but it works, trust me...The only place i found that people were rude to me because i did not speak the language ws in Paris, but i found everyone there pretty stuck up anyway...

get a European phrase book, I am sure you have thought of that, but i will help you alon the way...make sure it is one that has key words and phrases for ALL the non english countries you'll be going to

You could try an electronic pocket translator it will look something like this:

I do not know which to recommend, but maybe someone else will, and the cost is going to be more than the last couple of options.

Do not be down that you do not speak another language, do something about it!! Take a language course that might benifit you on your next wicked adventure!!!

(ps, you yelling in english is not going to make someone understand you any better)

LittleMiss1565 · 01-26-2004, 10:51 AM

I cannot say enough good things about the Transparent Language Series of foreign Language software.

The program I bought only cost $20 and includes 33 languages from around the world. The have a program out for the same price that includes 101 languages! It rocks! It goes through pronunciation and has a lot of text and phrases specifically for travellers.

Go out and buy it.

My phrase book is the Eyewitness Travel Guides European Phrase Book. It includes phrases in Czech, Danish, dutch, finnish, French, german, Greek, Hungarian, Italian, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Spanish, and Swedish. It is also very compact so it's no sweat to carry it around.

To be honest, I didn't really have a language barrier problem. I did find, however, that in Paris I got a lot more respect by pretending i was deaf/mute than when I spoke English.