You’ve just landed in an airport in Malaysia, and you can almost hear the waves lapping at your feet—until, you hear a different sound. An exotic language buzzes around the airport, and your heart begins to pound. How will you enjoy paradise beaches if you can’t even direct a taxi to get there?
While this may have been a worry of the past, nowadays, if you don’t know the language of a country, there’s no need to cancel your flight there. Most tourist hot spots employ locals who know some English. But, even if you find yourself in a new place where you don’t know the language, you can still get by with the following tips.
1. Use body language
Even if you don’t know the language, you’d be surprised what you can communicate just by gesturing. For example, pointing in the direction you want to go to is fairly universal. The same goes for shaking or nodding your head to mean “no” and “yes.”
However, do keep in mind that, “In many of the countries in the Balkans, for example, nodding means ‘no,’ and shaking your head means ‘yes,’” says François Thibault, traveler and co-founder of Gray Goose vodka, in a New York Times article. “Also, although a smile usually conveys friendliness, in some countries such as Russia, locals don’t smile at people they don’t know.”
2. Download a translation app
Nowadays, any refined traveler’s favorite app is Google Translate. Not only does the app allow you to type in what you want to be translated, but also it allows you to take a picture of a foreign language so that it can be translated in real-time. This type of application is especially perfect for restaurant menus and signs. No Wi-Fi? No problem. You can ask the application to download a language for offline use later.
3. Practice key phrases
You don’t need to learn an entire language before traveling to a new country. However, if you learn some basic words and key phrases, you might feel more confident and less lost. Some of the most important key phrases you should research before you leave include the following:
- How much is it?
- Where is … ?
- I want this.
- Can I have a discount, please?
- Thank you.
- Hello/goodbye.
If language books and blogs aren’t cutting it, try out Duolingo, an application that helps you learn new language for free.
You don’t need to learn a new language before traveling to a new country. Download the right apps, practice your body language, and learn a few key phrases, and you’ll be sipping from a coconut in no time—even if you don’t know the language.
Photo by Ovchinnikova Irina / Shutterstock.com