The first country which I visited apart from my home country was China. My friend and I boarded the high-speed train in China and could not make out the Mandarin on the ticket. For us, all the characters are the same and weird. So we both assumed that the ticket was for general seating and took random seats on the train. It only took 5 minutes for two Chinese people to kick us from that seat.
If we had done some basic research about the Chinese language, we might have avoided such a situation in which all the passengers were staring at us like we are illiterate.
Whenever you travel to a non-English speaking country, you have only two options: learn the language or be ready to become a fool.
Learning the local language will make your life easier
In a country where most citizens don’t know English, not becoming familiar with the local language is like a recipe for a hard life. Learning the basics of the local language will allow you to perform your daily activities with ease. Many times you will need a local language to communicate with local people.
Restaurants: Most non-speaking travelers always point out the food item to buy. But when you can speak the local language, you can name it to buy from the vendor, and this skill will be a plus point for you.
Transportation: Finding the correct bus stop and boarding the right bus can be challenging if you don’t know the native language. The same difficulty you will face with trains and taxis. When you want to travel from A to B, where are you currently? Where do you want to go? and how you will reach the destination, all such things will be communicated in the local language. So, it’s better to learn it to avoid trouble.
Signs: If all the signs for you are puzzles, then you will be surrounded by problems. Where is the bathroom? Which road is this? Where is the subway? On which side of the road should you drive? All such things can be easily identified if you know the language.
Locals love when you communicate in their native language
People love when anyone shows interest in them. Learning the local language will help you to show your love for them, showing them your thoughtfulness. Such empathy will make your journey easy in a foreign country.
You will surely get support from local people by doing this. When you genuinely try to learn their language, they will surely help you if you are lost, order your meals, and make a friendship with you. Locals usually love to help foreigners; it’s a trick to make new friends and make a bond with them.
Meet people whom you would have never met otherwise
The world is full of amazing people, but they may not know English. If you can speak in their native language, you will get an opportunity to speak with thousands of people. Chat with the taxi driver, talk with the storekeeper and know about the person sitting next to you. Once you know the local language, the people you meet can become your business partner or a true soul mate. Never miss such a thrilling experience!
Initially, you don’t need to be fluent.
I still remember my trip to Myanmar, where I stayed for a couple of weeks in a city named Yangon. I learned a few essential words of the Burmese language and spoke that whenever I got the opportunity.
One street vendor was so pleased with my efforts and tried to speak with me for 30 minutes. So not only did my efforts end up with a conversation with new language skills, but also a bag of food and a hug!
So, are you ready for your next trip? Do Etihad flight booking or choose any other flight now!