Don't Speak The Language And Can't Read The Signs

Communicating when traveling abroad may be one of your greatest concerns. Maybe you took a couple of years of Spanish or French in high school, which could help when ordering a cup of coffee, but is hardly enough to manage global communication. Communicating verbally is just one way in which we express our ideas, thoughts, and feelings as human beings. Although there are hundreds of languages and dialects around the globe, some basics of life are easier to convey than you think.

Body language and the use of paper and pencil assist travelers with the communication gaps. Body language is a strong and often universal way in which to translate ideas and wishes to others. Using your body posture, head position, and arm position, you can show powerful and understandable emotional feelings and attitudes to others.

Drawing out rudimentary and universal symbols may transcend language barriers between individuals. The use of a writing instrument coupled with drawing symbolic figures has been embraced since the beginning of civilization. I'm delighted to say I've fallen back on the practices of early human life and enlisted such rudimentary scribbles to get what I wanted.

Traveling to foreign countries and not knowing the language may be reason enough to actually detour some would-be travelers. The anxiety of not being able to verbally communicate may be a great fear many feel about traveling. Depending upon where you plan to travel the language barrier may be more challenging or maybe not be an issue at all. Mastering the language of the country you would like to travel to may not be a requirement for a successful trip.

I have found that many of the larger cities in which I traveled had many English-speaking tour guides, either through the Department of Tourism or just a well-versed local individual ready to make some money and practice their own English skills. I have found the local guides who know English delightful. They know the little ins and outs of their towns and offer a more personal, less-antiseptic view of their culture and people.

Using the following suggestions will help you be a better communicator if English is the only language you speak. Speaking only English, I have been able to successfully travel throughout the world and, as a result, feel little anxiety about language barriers when I travel. At times, I found it more challenging than not communicating, however, there wasn't a time when I couldn't somehow communicate what I needed.

"DO YOU SPEAK ENGLISH?"

Fortunately for English-speaking travelers who venture out into the world, be reassured to know that English is the most global of all languages. In many countries worldwide, English is taught as part of the standard curriculum in schools and universities. Although not everyone in the world speaks English, many people do speak English very well or have some conversational English skills. Don't be surprised when you meet foreigners who speak not only English but several languages. Unlike the United States, many countries border nations that speak different languages; as a result, the people learn several languages in order to communicate in their part of the world.

When you need to converse with another person (train conductor, restaurant owner, taxi driver, etc.) and you are not sure if they speak English, just simply ask them in a respectful and courteous way if they speak English. You will be surprised at how many people speak it very well. Remember, don't assume or expect people to be fluent or have a great mastery of the English language, some do and some don't.

Some students of English may not be able to speak well, however, they may be able to answer your inquiry if you write it down legibly. Some English students may feel embarrassed with their conversational English skills, although they may read and write it very well and do not feel self-conscious doing so.

LEARNING A LITTLE OF THE LANGUAGE

Learning a bit of the language spoken in the country you are visiting is not only fun but appreciated by the locals very much. Visiting for any length of time, you may want to know the simple salutations of the language, such as: thank you, please, hello, goodbye, good morning, and good evening.

It is also extremely valuable to know how to ask the direction of the bus station, train station, or youth hostel. You'll be surprised how receptive people will be to helping you when you've taken the time to learn a bit of their language.

ASKING FOR HELP OR DIRECTIONS

Keep it simple. Individuals will be more likely to understand you and help you if the request is kept simple and concise. Ask a woman or a group of women to help you; asking and receiving help from men may bring along unwanted suitors or harassers. Shop owners and taxi drivers will be familiar with the city and may be able to help you locate your desired destinations. Formulate your question before you start speaking so it is direct and to the point.

CONVERSATIONAL LANGUAGE CLASSES

Enrolling in a conversational language class before you go may make your travel experience more fun and satisfying. Learning a foreign language and then embarking upon a trip would be a good combination of learning and practicing your language skills.

Many community colleges and adult education programs offer such courses for the exact purpose of people who want to travel and know some of the language. Carrying a small pocket dictionary may be helpful for the language student or any traveler.

SIGN LANGUAGE AND BODY LANGUAGE

Sign/body language must be the most universal language spoken throughout the entire world. I'm talking about the common gestures among all people. Haven't you seen people out of earshot conversing and you can actually get an idea about what they are saying by their hand and body movements? Observe people and how they stand while talking to one another. Watch people speak with their bodies and see what you hear.

Charades

Charades gave me hours of joy as a child. Drawing small pieces of paper from a hat and then trying to make it come alive without a uttering a peep made great memories. Traveling will give you the opportunity to hone your expressive movements and help shape you into a sharp, sophisticated Charades player. Creativity, expression, and spontaneity coupled with patience and good humor will get most inquiries across. Don't worry about what people will think when they see you acting out your request or question, they probably will enjoy your effort, openness, and acting ability. Have fun!

Some Body Gestures Are Not Universal

Gestures we commonly know and use at home may also be familiar to other cultures. Although the physical gesture shared by both cultures may look the same, the meaning may be far different. Here are a few examples of gestures common to our country, but which do not mean the same abroad.

• The hand gesture we commonly use to convey the message "okay," translates to mean something offensive and derogatory in Brazil.

• Waving with fingers back and forth vertically or up and down means "goodbye" or "hello" in the States, yet the same gesture in parts of Asia is a command or call for an adult or child to come to you.

• Western culture encourages individuals to look into the eyes of the person to whom they are speaking. In some cultures, consistent eye contact between men and women who are not married may invite unwelcome suitors or be taken as a sign of confrontation.

Waving To The Children In India

Most children have a delightful fascination with travelers. You look different, sound different, and dress differently. One of my favorite aspects of traveling is interacting with the local, native children. Children always find a way to communicate and I love their curiosity and wonder about foreigners.

Asia is certainly one of my most favorite areas of the world in which to travel. While traveling through India, groups of children would point and giggle as I would walk by, always keeping a bit of a distance, uncertain of this stranger. Inevitably I would wave, with hand-in-air fingers moving up and down and then the children would either flee or slowly move toward me in one large mass. I didn't understand why they were walking toward me and why they were walking with such anxiety. I realized later that I was actually motioning them to come to me and they respectfully and obediently did. Although this revelation would happen practically weekly, this waving position was difficult to break. As a result, I have had many wary, reluctant children stumble toward me throughout the world.

DRAW IT OUT

Drawing what you need or want is yet another way to communicate. Like a game of Pictionary, you illustrate what you want and hope the other players will recognize your illustration. This technique has pulled me through so many times, I just believe in its power to communicate. A few tips when using this form of communication.

• Write on paper, receipt, journal, or sand with pen, pencil, crayon, or stick.

• Make simple and quick illustrations, not too detailed and time consuming.

Cut And Paste Language Notebook

If you feel you couldn't draw a straight line with a ruler, then consider this recommendation. Create your own Language Notebook. This small, spiral memo book will contain simple illustrations of items and places you may need when traveling. Follow the steps below and make your own language notebook.

1. Purchase small spiral memo note pad.
2. Cut out from magazines or photographs basic items of need. (Food, water, train, taxi, bus, doctor, bed, airplane, etc.)
3. Find illustrations or photographs of the famous sights you would like to visit. (Eiffel Tower, Great Wall of China, Taj Majal, Leaning Tower of Pisa)
4. Paste these simple illustrations or photographs into your memo book. When you cannot communicate pull out the illustrated language memo book and try to show what you want.

Find An Interpreter And Write It Out

If you are having difficulty traveling from one location to the next because English in not commonly spoken, try to locate one individual who can interpret where you want to go and have them write that down for you.

Asian languages use characters and not the alphabet, so the symbols may be difficult to distinguish. If you plan on traveling outside of the metropolitan areas, I suggest the following.

• While still in the metropolitan city locate a person who speaks English well and ask for their help in translating and writing. Generally you will find English-speaking bilingual individuals in youth hostels, hotels, traveler's restaurants, or among taxi drivers.

• Write down questions on one side of the page, such as;

• "Where is the train station?"
• "Where is the bus station?"
• "Where is a hotel?"
• "Where can I get food and water?"
• "I need a doctor, I am sick."
• "I need a telephone, where can I find one?"
• "How much is ?"

• "I need help. Where is the police station?"

• "I need help. Do you know anyone who speaks English?
• "I want to go to (what city, town) ."

• "I came from (what city, town) ) ."

• On the back of the pages or underneath the question have your interpreter write out the question or request in the native language. Make sure you don't mix up the questions with the native language or it will all be confusing and unhelpful.

On The Road To China

The night before my new traveling mate, Amy, and I set off for China from Hong Kong I wrote out very carefully in Chinese characters the names of the cities and towns we wanted to travel to. In thick, dark black strokes I tried to copy the Chinese characters in a spiral-bound memo book; underneath the characters I wrote the name of the town. I only hoped I copied the characters properly, a slip in the line could have a completely different meaning.

Leaving Hong Kong was easy. We took the subway until the end of the line, passed the New Territories and finally came to Shenzhen. We arrived in the Shenzhen Rail Station early in the morning amid several hundred other travelers going from place to place. Outside of the train station, a carnival-like chaos reigned. Inside the train station, the smell of urine hit me as I entered. The tile floor and barren walls made for an austere environment.

I approached the ticket window after trying to inquire where it was I should purchase a train ticket. I stood up in a short line and, when I reached the small window, the woman behind the thin glass began to speak to me in Chinese. I spoke to her in English requesting a train ticket to Quilin. The ticket window woman did not understand my request so I began pointing to my small, spiral notebook and the Chinese character I drew for Quilin. I kept saying Quilin and pointing to the character. Finally she understood what I wanted and soon enough produced two one-way tickets to Quilin.

My spiral bound language book was priceless while traveling through China. I used the Chinese characters I had drawn out in Hong Kong every time I went to purchase another train ticket. Without the use of the characters and notebook my stay in China may have been incredibly frustrating.

Nothing Is Working!

Body language, gesturing and drawing out what you are trying to communicate may not be translating. Take a moment and remember two things. First, keep it simple. Are you conveying, by your actions, what you want to get across or ask? Secondly, the individual you are trying to communicate may not be a good candidate for your inquiry. Don't give up, find another willing interpreter and try again.

Cruising The Mekong Delta With My Own Personal Guide

The morning air held a welcome, pleasing coolness for, shortly, the cool relief would retreat and it would soon be helplessly hot and humid once again. Joe and I were in Rach Gia, a small fishing town at the southern end of the Mekong Delta in Vietnam. Our couple of days in Rach Gia were difficult at the very best. There were few, if any, English-speaking people and it was very difficult to get the basics, namely food. We decided to return to Saigon via the Mekong River, cruise the canals where only twenty-some odd years ago American soldiers patrolled and bombed the riverbanks.

The boat was like a bus on the water picking up passengers with their goods, children, and animals along the way. We both thought this would be exciting and fascinating, probably a bit uncomfortable, but who cared.

As we waited for the boat to ready itself, we waited in a small restaurant cafe in Rach Gia. The small black-and-white television set hummed in the early morning air, as the crowd was mesmerized by the images before them. We sipped on iced coffees and took in the scene. Vietnam is the only country in Asia I have been to that not only has fresh bread daily but also has the best coffee I have ever tasted in my adult life. Of course, this is no twist of fate. The French, who were in Vietnam for a very long time, brought these delicious delights to Vietnam and they have survived long after the French went home.

We decided to buy conical hats to wear on the boat. It would be pretty hot and sunny and we didn't want to get fried. So there we were in our straw conical hats, iced coffee in hand and ready to go. At times, I wondered if we were more interesting than the television show that was blaring in a small hut cafe. Children came up to me trying to speak and we played a bit.

The boat was leaving and I was hoping we were on the correct bus. Oh well, we'd find out sooner or later, probably a lot later than sooner. The boat was wooden and had a lower deck with hammocks and benches. This section was immediately filled to way over maximum capacity. The bonus of the lower deck was that you were out of the hot sun and you had a seat. Joe and I opted to sit up top on the deck. No seats, just find a spot and plop yourself down. So we did.

Before we had even started up the river a small older Vietnamese woman came over to me. She sat down next to me and took my arm into hers. She looked at me, smiled and laughed. Speaking in Vietnamese, she went on and on then looked at me for a response. I responded in English and she look a little perplexed and broke into laughter once again.

And so it went for the next four-and-a-half hours. She never left me, always holding onto me in some fashion. She would point emphatically to animals or objects on the riverbanks or in its waters and repeat over and over the Vietnamese name. I would repeat back what she said until I had it right or at least it sounded correct enough to her that she would begin with a new subject and word. We did this for hours and hours.

She had such a kindness and interest in her voice and eyes. Openness and curiosity exuded from this petite woman. I wanted to ask her so many questions about herself, her life. I wondered where she was during the Vietnam War, how was her life affected. So many questions and language was the barrier, not a lack of interest or want of understanding.

When she smiled, it was with childlike delight. She was a very attractive woman. A woman who has worked hard in life. I could tell by her tanned skin and muscular physique. She would break into laughter and toss her head back. She had only the two front teeth in her mouth. I wondered what had happened to the rest.

She was delightful mother hen that chose me look after me and protect me on the journey. She helped Joe and I when the conductor came by and wanted more cash for our tickets. My Vietnamese angel knew the conductor was being dishonest and chewed him out right there on the river. It was a pretty hysterical exchange, I just wanted to laugh and thank her for being so strong and sticking up for us.

We came to her departure point. She wanted me to come with her to her village. She kept motioning to me to come with her, and smiling. I declined and tried to explain that I had to keep moving up the river to get back to Saigon. On the banks of the Mekong, we waved goodbye and I thanked her in Vietnamese, "come ong" as I folded my arms and bowed to her.