Parlez-vous English?

If you’ve ever taken a trip abroad, chances are that at some point or another you’ve encountered someone who just doesn’t seem to understand what the hell you’re saying. This can be frustrating, I know. I’ve experienced this in at least 8 of the 15 countries I’ve travelled to so far–and that’s not counting my experiences on home turf. No matter how many times I go through it, it always results in a similar experience of me nervously laughing as I blurt out the only words of the language I know, trying to string the words together into sentences with what I, at least, hope are universal words.

My first encounter with this sort of situation while abroad took place on the steps of the Sydney Opera House in the summer of 2008. I was doing interviews of people from around the world during World Youth Day for a friend back home. As I was walking down the steps of the historic opera house, I noticed a group of Italians making their way in my direction. I thought, What the heck? Despite having taken two semesters of Italian prior to this incident,“ciao” was probably the most logical word I had said during the effort. The woman ended her quasi-interview with a nice and subtle, “Stupid American,” as she smiled and walked away.

This doesn’t always happen. The thought of being in this situation shouldn’t detract you from taking that dream vacation or trip either, you just need to be smart about your approach. I’ve found that the easiest way to get past that language barrier is to speak very simply. Use the words you know, use universally common words (ie: toilet), pick up on body language…In short, YOU CAN DO IT!

In your travels, have you ever encountered a situation where a language barrier became an obstacle? OR, did it somehow help?

Now, I’m not a big fan of Rick Steves (A story for another time), but sometimes the man knows what he’s talking about. Check out his Top Ten list of things to help you overcome language barriers, it could really come in handy! (Rick Steves’: Overcoming Language Barriers)