am i lost without the language

solice

i was going to go on j1 to the states next year but now im thinking about going to europe. i was thinking down around bordeaux (grape picking in St. Emilion) or going to italy and teaching english in summer camps over there. only problem is my french isnt great and i have no italian whatsoever.

i just want to know if there is anyone out there who went working in europe for a summer and didnt have the language, how did ye get on.

p.pete

I was in Germany for a while without German and it was never a problem. Granted the level of English there is probably a lot higher than most places. Also are you going by yourself or with others. Going with others makes it easier also - if not look at it as a great opportunity to learn/improve the language.

solice

ill prob end up going on my own, but that doesnt bother me at all. its something i always wanted to do and now i have the opportunity i dont want to miss it. the only thing i am scared about is the language barrier.

Sleipnir

my girlfriend went to France years ago with very little english and no job to go to.
She went around everywhere telling people she was looking for "cheval"
After some puzzled0looking people showed her into some stables a few times, she got offended.
The word she was looking for was "travail" not "cheval" which means horse.
Weeks spent wandering about with no money asking if anyone has a horse. Dear, oh dear.

Wook

France will most likely to be more of a problem then Italy.
Italy and you teaching english .. well i can imagine there are a few people out there that needs to organize things or work at the place who are multilingual.

solice

well the idea for italy is from my cousin, she is gone over there for a year teaching english in a school. i would go over and stay with her but she will be finished and back in ireland in may.

i dont expect people to speak to me in english, im the one in their country, the least i could do is make an effort. so i supposse all im asking is, which is the best country in the eu to work in and what is the easiest language to pick up
dont really want to go to spain or greece cos i would prob end up working in some dive of a tourist resort. i want to see the real europe, off the beaten track and not in the tourist books

Stark

depends on the person when it comes to what language is easiest to pick up I find. I always found German a lot easier than French, but this can be the other way round for a lot of people. If you know a little French already then you'll probably pick it up quite quickly once you're immersed in it.

solice

well i have made my decision, i have been to st. emilion already so thats out, i want something new, i want to experience something different, i want to go to places i have never been (without the use of drugs) so i am going to italy, i am going to the amlphai (if that is how you spell it) coast.

i dont have a word of italian, i know nothing spectacular about the country and all i know is, i am going to do it. this time nest year, i will be in italy.

Cake Fiend

A year's plenty of time to get the basics of a language down if you put a bit of effort into it.
It would not only be rude, but a downright stupid idea to go to a foreign country without a word of the language (what if something bad happened, etc). I've been stranded a few times in foreign countries and if it weren't for the fact that I had enough words to get my point across (where is the airport, how do I get to that island, where is the police station etc) I don't know what would have happened.
I really don't understand people who wander off to somewhere they don't speak the language looking for work and wonder why they have a hard time.
BTW, it might be worth sliding the fact that you're Irish into conversations - on the continent people tend to assume that English-speaking visitors are English or American and you may be surprised at how much more friendly they can be if they know you're Irish.

Eurorunner

Well, the most difficult part is getting work..and after that, who cares if you have problems with the language. As long as you can pay the bills, after a few days, you start not to give a damn or feel akward cos you cant speak the language.


Furthermore, its a great way to pick up the language. Going over with others makes it great craic. I went over to germany when i was 17 but went over on my own. There are aspects of it that are tough...but its good for ya.

Have fun...and oh yeah...just a personal preference but the french....hmmm ...in a word arrogant. Many of them wont even speak english to you and help you out language wise even though they can speak it...i find this off....very off.

But then thats just me...and your choice of destination is up to you.

Beruthiel

Originally posted by Eurorunner
Have fun...and oh yeah...just a personal preference but the french....hmmm ...in a word arrogant. Many of them wont even speak english to you and help you out language wise even though they can speak it...i find this off....very off.

It depends on where you come from, if they think you are English or American you may have a problem, once they hear you are Irish they are wonderful and very helpful. I have heard so much about the french being arrogant, on my 12 or so trips over there I have found them, in general, to be more helpful than I have found Irish people!

Lafayette2003

I bet that the french were cool when you last went there:D

solice

yeah i know about the french but the spanish arent much better. was there a few years ago and i went into a service station with my father. the guy behind the counter heard us speaking in english and automatically assumed we were english. he started shouting at us, so we started speaking to ourselves and to him in irish.
he apologised.
hehehehehehehe