My friend is considering visiting Sao Paulo, Brazil from San Francisco. I think he`s coming with his band. I met up with his keys player when I was up there, and I think he`s been to Brazil before. Anyway, I`m down here now, and I am already trying to picture just what I could do to help him. And, how he is going to fend for himself when I am not around. He speaks a little Spanish, and I do mean a little. I doubt it will help him very much. ---------- The whole thing made me think how much guts some guys have traveling to places where most people might not speak their own language. My father's girlfriend asked me recently about places I am curious about...I mentioned Berlin, Barcelona, Budapest, Rome, Havana, Tokyo, Istanbul, Moscow, Manila, and Lagos. Places I have read or watched something about that spiked my fancy. But I told her, I would not have the guts to go to any of those places (except Lagos) because of the language difference (though everywhere you go, in the touristy areas, many will speak English). Maybe because I already went through the experience of moving to the U.S. as a teen, and having to learn another language on the spot. Obviously that was enough... How about you? Which foreign-language places are you interested in? Do you have the guts to pick up and just go in spite of language differences? Have you already had any experiences like that? How were they?
You can just about always get by in English. Pretty much everywhere there's at least one person who speaks a little bit of English.. Most of the places you mentioned you were curious about, there will certainly be plenty of English speakers. I've been to a few places where they speak little or no English, no worries. I'm pretty good with languages anyway, and so I can pick up the local speech - or at least bits and pieces - quite quickly. In addition to the four languages I speak fluently/semi-fluently, I also speak a bit of Thai, Japanese, and Spanish. The language is not something I consider when deciding where to go, unless I'm going specifically to learn the language. I'd really like to travel through or live for a while in Central/South America, and Japan. The main reason for both places would be to pick up the language properly; especially Spanish I feel confident I could be fluent within 6-12 months if I was immersed in a Spanish speaking environment. The experiences I've had have been pretty much exclusively good ones, the locals, especially here in Thailand, really appreciate it when you can speak a little bit of their language (Except on my particular island, where the locals hate westerners and often refuse to speak Thai with us.) But in general, I think people love it when you speak their language, and I find that really motivating. Learning different languages also gives you a bit more insight into the nature of language, and thus human nature. And I think even if you can't speak the local language, it's not that hard to get by. Indeed, some times not being able to speak with someone can be great, I've had some really good moments with people I couldn't speak with, using gestures and so on.
I would definitely pack up and move somewhere with a different language, there's no better way to learn! I love learning new languages, i think i have a bit of a knack for it. I travelled around south america in 2009 with no prior spanish and it was great. Japan is also one of my favourite places to go, especially since many people there don't speak any english! it's such an awesome challenge to communicate in another language. the best part is when it stops feeling like "another language" and starts just feeling like the meanings of the words..
I'm afraid of language barriers when traveling, too, it's pretty much the reason why I don't have big travel plans. (Well, that and my fear of airplanes over water, but that's another thread.) I can speak a tiny fragment of Spanish, but it has to be said slowly before I can understand it and I know that would just drive people insane. I'd rather just stay here where people barely understand my English.
Hello, I too think he will be lost with his Spanish, because they don't speak Spanish in Brazil . Regards Gyro
Hello, well, I don't know. My French is virtually not existent. But the French people appreciate it very much if you try it anyways. Even if you can't say a whole sentence, try it. Often that makes the difference between being ignored by the French people or being treated very politely. Regards Gyro
