Do you learn the local language

[Deleted member 29185]

Mandarin:

2 beers please - wǒ yào liǎng bēi pí jiǔ
My friend will pay - wǒ péng yóu yào bāng wǒ jié zhàng

I've been searching for the audio button, but I cannot find it!

 

[sumthinfornuthin]

Yep,shows a bit of respect and if nothing else gives the local a laugh IMHO

 

[JohnK]

As a general rule, if someone you don't know invites you to speak English, and you go anywhere where food / drink can be ordered, make sure that nothing is ordered on a tab / everything is prepaid upfront, otherwise you can easily see your holiday spending money disappear.

As a general rule I like to know the price of beer/food before ordering.

Greece is one place where you can get caught out easily. Restaurants/tavernas do not display prices.

 

[Deleted member 29185]

Yesterday we went to a little "hole in the wall" restaurant in Oman where they spoke very little English (and we speak no Arabic) but were able to order OK by using the menu, which had photos. Worked well, we ended up with far more food than we could eat which was also delicious, as well as a sealed bottle of table water and it all came to around AU$30 (which included about a 30% tip as I couldn't be bothered trying to work out the change). I had firstly made sure they would accept Dirhams as we carried no Rial with us and I did this simply by showing him the currency, which he readily agreed to. Language didn't prove a barrier in that particular case.

 

[jastel]

The Universal Translator, crispy US$ bills, overcomes most language problems. You may still get ripped off but what's $10 on a $10000 trip?
Don't use cards where you cant read/speak the lingo is my motto.

 

[Farkin]

I try to have at least the Hello, thank you, and how much in my head somewhere, because as soon as you have broken the ice with someone they will try to practice their(usually TV) learned English phrases on you. Then it becomes good fum and you have a new friend

 

[Deleted member 29185]

I actually think those of us born and bred in an English speaking country are reasonably lucky as many people (even those unexpected countries) seem to have English even at a very basic level and then it's really up to whether or not they wish to converse with you.

Even just yesterday when we on the Musandam Peninsular, my phone grabbed the closest tower (which happened to be in Iran) and this is the message

Have a great stay in Iran. Call any number inIran for only AED 5 per min,receive calls for AED 4 per min, call UAE for AED 9per min, send SMS for AED 2, and receive SMS for free. For data usage, pleasedial *135*20#. For more details, call our Customer Care on +971 55 567 8155(roaming charges apply).

How did they know I spoke English, yet there it is, an English text message from Iran or perhaps UAE.

 

[Himeno]

How did they know I spoke English, yet there it is, an English text message from Iran or perhaps UAE.

The SIM card has a code on it IDing the home network. The network it connects to contacts that network to see if it is a valid SIM and that roaming is active. It would note that the home network is in an english speaking country and send the text in English.

 

[Deleted member 29185]

It would note that the home network is in an english speaking country and send the text in English.

In this case the home network was UAE.

 

[JohnK]

In this case the home network was UAE.

Which with all it's diversity would be English anyway?

 

[Deleted member 29185]

Which with all it's diversity would be English anyway?

Yes I agree......I've been told 80% of the UAE population is foreign (ie...non-Emirati)

 

[markis10]

The SIM card has a code on it IDing the home network. The network it connects to contacts that network to see if it is a valid SIM and that roaming is active. It would note that the home network is in an english speaking country and send the text in English.

No, part of the handshake includes the phone language settings I suspect

 

[significance]

It depends how long I will be there, how long I have to prepare, where else I will be going on that trip, and how widely English is spoken in the places I will be visiting. If I am visiting one destination on a trip, I will do my best to learn some key phrases before I go - especially if I will be staying more than a week or if it is a holiday rather than a business trip. If I am visiting multiple destinations with multiple dominant languages, it is too hard. I'll learn "please", "thankyou", "excuse me" and "do you speak English", and that's it.

If English is very widely and fluently spoken (the Netherlands, for instance) I will not worry as much as if English is rare (much of China) or reluctantly spoken (parts of France). But even in countries where most people do not have any English, I find I can get by with good will, charades, a phrasebook and a smart phone.

 

[Deleted member 29185]

No, part of the handshake includes the phone language settings I suspect

I didn't think of that. You're probably right.

 

[Happy Dude]

I always buy the Lonely Planet during the planning stage of a trip. The LP becomes my reading material on the plane, focussing on the pleasantries and the numbers (especially for Asia).

I don't bother learning a phrase or question, other than "How much?", as there's just no chance of understanding the answer.