On Holiday, do you attempt the Language?

Mint Sauce

Well do you?

I will always trying and learn the very basics before I go. Hello, good bye, excuse me, please, and thank you, and in a restaurant or bar will always try and order the food in their own language, ie, from the Spanish/French/Portuguese section of the Menu, rather than from the English translated part.

I think its only polite, respectful, and have found, in most cases you will get a better response from the person you are dealing with. Even if you do have to continue the rest of the conversation in broken English with them.

super_furry

Yep. If that doesn't work I just shout loudly and slowly in English.

Biggins

Yes.

I embarrass myself a few times with wrong pronunciations - well probably more than a few - but I give it a go.
Currently trying to learn Chinese and Japanese.
French now I had a right bash at last time in France.
(They probably wanted to bash me for murdering their language!)

Culleeo

Yes, when they don't understand me, I end up speaking English with a Spanish/French accent, as if they are going to understand me by putting on the accent

im invisible

ja, ja. das ist gut

Heroditas

Always have issues in West Cork or Kerry. Even shouting slowly doesn't seem to work

Mint Sauce

super_furry wrote: »

Yep. If that doesn't work I just shout loudly and slowly in English.

Think my most memorable was at an Austrian sky resort, saying hello to the cute receptionist, introducing myself, asking how she was, before asking if she spoke English, all in German, before finishing the conversation in English. Resulting in a pat on the back from my uncle for the top shelf flirting as we headed for our rooms, and a smile from her for the rest of the week.

Unfortunatly it didn't get the same response from the local gift shop owner who looked at me with suspicion the whole time on hearing an English speaker, regardless of where I was actually from.

PhlegmyMoses

Culleeo wrote: »

Yes, when they don't understand me, I end up speaking English with a Spanish/French accent, as if they are going to understand me by putting on the accent

Schteve McLaren?

Mint Sauce

Biggins wrote: »

Yes.

I embarrass myself a few times with wrong pronunciations - well probably more than a few - but I give it a go.
Currently trying to learn Chinese and Japanese.
French now I had a right bash at last time in France.
(They probably wanted to bash me for murdering their language!)

I think I managed to insult a few people in Portugal by using the Masculine/feminine response at the wrong times. A female friend travelling with us only told me of my mistake on the third day.

:eek:

Biggins

irish-stew wrote: »

I think I managed to insult a few people in Portugal by using the Masculine/feminine response at the wrong times. A female friend travelling with us only told me of my mistake on the third day.

:eek:

Easily done and easily forgiven by many if your a tourist.
Most appreciate the attempt.

Sir Pompous Righteousness

An t-aon teanga a labhraím in ionann Béarla thar sáile ná Ghaeilge.

whatdoicare

I used a bit of espanol on the check in girl in a hotel once, just stuff like "Good Morning, your hotel is beautiful, hope you're having a good day etc, etc" - got the best room with the balcony overlooking the pool. Sweeeeet.


It was either my fabulous grasp of the language or she was a bit lesbo for me. Either way....Balcony!!:D

Lord TSC

No.

I hate when people massacre the English language, so I don't intend on destroying the languages of other nations :P

DeltaWhite

Yes I do! My OH is always trying to learn aswell I find zee Germans aren't very courteous when trying to chat with them in German I recently went abroad to Gran Canaria and the hotel we stayed in had mostly German guests and they weren't very friendly to us even when we said Guten Tag/Nocht but the Canarians are great they love when you show an interest and attempt their language

I always try the basics, some languages are more difficult than others obviously. No matter how hard I tried I couldn't/can't remember 'please' in Dutch!

FanadMan

kyllä

asherbassad

I usually put on a Cockney accent and scream "gimme a faaackin' beer you filthy daygo/wop/greasball/kraut/eyetie caaaaaaaant!!!"

Just doing my bit to enhance the reputation of our British neighbours :P

Where To

Just after leaving four French fiddlers at a local guesthouse, hadn't a word of English between them.

The owner was struggling to tell them they were actually staying in another house backing on the guesthouse, so I helped by translating for him.

'C'homme voudrais habite a votre posterieurs'

I certainly do... not in prague though, hadn't a clue...

Where To

Deleted User wrote: »

I always try the basics, some languages are more difficult than others obviously. No matter how hard I tried I couldn't/can't remember 'please' in Dutch!

Pleash.

asherbassad

Deleted User wrote: »

I always try the basics, some languages are more difficult than others obviously. No matter how hard I tried I couldn't/can't remember 'please' in Dutch!

Als tu blieft

I am fluent in Rastafarian

3ndahalfof6

I think it is very important to try to blend in, simple phrases, like, I love you but I love your mum morer (is there a word for this in any language),

you are a superior race, 24 miles is nothing, the food your people eat is stupendous, can I give you these books/DVD on how to fit in ,

thank you, by the way, ell ist to mocho mono kemptastic.

D1stant

DeltaWhite wrote: »

Yes I do! My OH is always trying to learn aswell I find zee Germans aren't very courteous when trying to chat with them in German I recently went abroad to Gran Canaria and the hotel we stayed in had mostly German guests and they weren't very friendly to us even when we said Guten Tag/Nocht but the Canarians are great they love when you show an interest and attempt their language

Chirp?

Palytoxin

"Un baguette, petit pois" is my tourist French.

Smidge

Deleted User wrote: »

I always try the basics, some languages are more difficult than others obviously. No matter how hard I tried I couldn't/can't remember 'please' in Dutch!

I could teach you some swear words in Dutch:o

mikemac1

Yes always

They appreciate the effort

Even if all you say to the Roman is uno gelato
The Italians have the best ice-cream!

Sure it will be grand

Anglophone monoglots like the Irish are notoriously lazy and inept at learning other languages. Big pity.

ejmaztec

The first time that I went to the Czech Republic I had to resort to clucking like a chicken to get a fried egg.:( Things got a lot better after a few more trips and a few language tapes.

Pherekydes

Always willing to try. The worst I can remember was when we went to Inisheer. Even the kids couldn't understand the guys driving the traps. :pac:

naughtysmurf

Always try and use a bit of the local lingo if I can as long as it doesn't make me look like a tool

Slightly off topic
As a teenager down in west cork trying to improve my irish, our dinner used to be brought to us by a really hot girl, every evening she used to hand the plate of grub to me and say "Tá sé te" and every evening for the first week I burnt my fingers until someone explained what it meant

Still remember her name, even her address (well the road anyway) & it's a long time since I was a teenager

keith16

Really enjoyed speaking a bit of Russian when I went to Moscow. The locals seemed to appreciate it too. Nice language in IMO.

D1stant

Always. Whenever in Bantry I always say "Hey Horse no fuckin sauce on me burger ok". The locals seem so appreciative, Bless'em

jimmi10

Yes I will try and use some of the language of the place I am visiting. Even if it's just "please" or "thank you". It shows respect to the people who's country you are a guest in.

rgmmg

I try to.

My Dad, on the other hand, has tried before and now doesn't bother.

We were on holiday one day in the depths of France about 20 years ago and it was raining really heavily. My Dad saw this elderly French bloke walking with his bike up a hill in the downpour and pulled the car over to say, laughing, “Ou est la soleil?” or similar (“Where is the sun?”). The French guy didn’t understand a word so my Dad pointed at the sky and repeated the question. The French guy looked up to the sky but still was none the wiser, at which point my Dad put the window up and drove off. I imagine the French guy is still there, staring at the sky, scratching his head and wondering wtf my Dad was saying.

He’s a little more reluctant to use any language now. On a recent trip to Spain, my Dad asked a waiter for a drink to which the Spanish waiter replied with a sentence. My Dad’s response was to wave him away, roll his eyes and say “Yeah, whatever, whatever”.

rgmmg

rgmmg wrote: »

I try to.

My Dad, on the other hand, has tried before and now doesn't bother.

We were on holiday one day in the depths of France about 20 years ago and it was raining really heavily. My Dad saw this elderly French bloke walking with his bike up a hill in the downpour and pulled the car over to say, laughing, “Ou est la soleil?” or similar (“Where is the sun?”). The French guy didn’t understand a word so my Dad pointed at the sky and repeated the question. The French guy looked up to the sky but still was none the wiser, at which point my Dad put the window up and drove off. I imagine the French guy is still there, staring at the sky, wondering wtf my Dad was saying.

He’s a little more reluctant to use any language now. On a recent trip to Spain, my Dad asked a waiter for a drink to which the Spanish waiter replied with a sentence. My Dad’s response was to wave him away, roll his eyes and say “Yeah, whatever, whatever”.

People actually do that? Perhaps that's why the Spanish waiters here are always rude to English speakers.

I always try to speak a bit of the language, but if I really can't, I speak English but am apologetic about it and never expect people to speak English. I think realising that not speaking the local language is your issue is the most important thing, wherever you go.

aujopimur

I tried Leitrimese one time, total failure.

Rigol

oonly wen am in scolan an nee ta fine a bampot ..ye noo ..wen ah nee tae ha a jobbie

Agricola

Always try to. In France afew years back was having a lot of trouble with an incomprehensible menu and an owner who had no english. She was giving me the usual "idiot tourist" vibe until I plucked up the courage to try some of my old Leaving Cert french on her. I might have told her I was 15 and looking for the train station, but she seemed happy enough.

whatswhat

an easy guide to learning French is just watch Del Boy on Only Fools... Class!

JessePinkman

Only when i holiday in Ireland

Unlimited Bacon

Nah, there's no need. I'm English so i already speak the universal language.

Boulevardier

Don't bother trying to use Turkish words in Istanbul. They really are NOT interested.

CruelCoin

Always.

I travel quite often to Holland to visit family and for business.
Each time it usually takes me around a half a day to re-develop the back of the throat "ghhh" you need to enunciate properly.

My speech goes from tourist to local in the time between breakfast and lunch.

whomitconcerns

in china I learned "Tsingtao píjiǔ" and "xie xie" to order a beer and say thank you. It was all I needed

bluecode

In Vietnam I quickly learned 'Không, cảm ơn'. That was very useful to fend off street sellers. The Vietanamese are polite people. It means 'No thank you'. That was all I really needed. The guide did all the neccessary talking.

I have a tiny little bit of French. But on our last holiday to France I for some reason kept asking waiters for the 'billet' (ticket) until my wife pointed out I should have said 'l'addicion'. This should have been a clue for me. So for the rest of our holiday I generally murdered the French language in shops and restaurants. While my wife stood by and let me embarrass myself.

Eventually we were talking and I said I'd love to learn more French and asked her if she had ever thought of studying it. At this point she told me she had, throughout school and studied business French in college and was effectively fluent at one stage. After I picked up my jaw from the floor. I asked her why she had stood by and had me do all the talking. Apparently she was too 'embarrassed' to try it as it had been a while since she spoke it. Ok for me to be embarrassed apparently.:mad:

Next time she does all the talking let me tell you.

I remember in Montreal using my French occasionally. They all spoke English too but at least attempting to use their language always seemed to please them. Which helps with service.

YFlyer

Yes I talk to the French like Del Boy.

pickarooney

JessePinkman wrote: »

Only when i holiday in Ireland

Pity, I reckon Ja, Bitch! would go down a treat.

PizzamanIRL

Dónde están las prostitutas?

That's all you need to learn in Spain.

CruelCoin

PizzamanIRL wrote: »

Dónde están las prostitutas?

That's all you need to learn in Spain.

or "como me los huevos"

Blisterman

I try to speak the few words I know, but I always end up using the wrong language.

eg In a cafe in France.

"Uno cerveza por favor"... ****

"Danke"... ****