Did you ever vist a country where English is not spoken and you don't speak the

[Papa Deuce]

native tongue at all?

How was it, and how did you handle it?

Where did you go?

 

[grinningghost]

East Side of Buffalo - I think they speak Ghettoese.

 

[HTH]

East Side of Buffalo - I think they speak Ghettoese.

 

[Winka]

Even in some of the more remote places I've visited, signs are written in English or at least in Roman letters.

Often you'll find people who speak English or maybe there's another common language you share.

If you don't take it upon yourself to learn a few things before going, there's always signing, pointing, drawing-you get by.

 

[WebmasterMaryJo]

East Side of Buffalo - I think they speak Ghettoese.

LOL




Visited Germany & didn't speak a lick of German... but my friend spoke English. Her family spoke German at the dinner table & I kind of picked it up. I had a dictionary, learned the basics, and did a LOT of sign language & wrote pictures on paper.

 

[helenabear]

Spent a month in Europe (mostly Germany) with my family. Knew very very very little German. Some of my family knew more than us kids did. We did okay, there were a lot of English speakers and between them knowing some English and us knowing some German, we did okay. We almost did come home from the store with a pack of cigarettes instead of bread once though

 

[PrincessTeddyBear]

I visit areas away from Philadelphia all the time. I just go with the flow.

As for another country - no. I've never been outside of the US because I don't speak another language. If I can't speak the language than I'm not going to go there because I expect people to be able to speak English here in the US, than it's hypocritical to expect people to cater to me in another country.

 

[trappednabox]

I plan on going to Japan next year, and don't know any of the laguage at all! maybe I need to start those online lessons soon!

 

[nativetxn]

I've never visited another country. I imagine that if I ever get to the UK, I will have to brush up on my "English"

 

[Brendita]

My DS & I spend 2 weeks in France.
I took a little pocket translater.
Only really had a few problems.
Lovely Country.
Rude people.

 

[chadfromdallas]

East Side of Buffalo - I think they speak Ghettoese.

I was going to say South Texas...

grinningghost 1 Chad 0

You win this one

 

[magicfan]

I'ts up to me to figure out how to communicate with them. And, I agree, there are many places where English is also spoken.

 

[grinningghost]

I was going to say South Texas...

grinningghost 1 Chad 0

You win this one

Yeah, well you'll get me again, you always do.

 

[DisneyDotty]

Yep--last summer I went to Slovenia and Denmark with my family. Out of eleven of us, only my dad knows Slovenian. Was it a problem? Not at all. Many Europeans speak English--very well, I might add. I think only Americans (okay, maybe the French, too!) have the attitude that their native language is the only language they need to know. The people in most other countries around the world know at least two languages.

 

[GEM]

As for another country - no. I've never been outside of the US because I don't speak another language. If I can't speak the language than I'm not going to go there because I expect people to be able to speak English here in the US, than it's hypocritical to expect people to cater to me in another country.

So, you seriously don't think people should come to the states to vacation unless they speak English? Wow. I don't mean to be hostile or anything, but the whole idea expressed above is just so bizarre to me. There are so many incredible and fascinating places to see in the world, and there's no way to learn every language. It wouldn't have occured to me to miss out on some of the truly breathtaking or historical places I've seen just because I didn't speak the language. And I hope a German family (or whatever) that wants to visit Washington DC or New York or San Francisoo or WDW won't let the fact that they don't speak the language stop them.

Oh, and to answer the original question, we've been to many, many places where we didn't speak the language - and we've always done just fine with guide books and maps in English, phrase books, a few important words, etc. Morocco was the most complcated since everything was in Arabic and that was totally different from anywhere we had ever been before, but people were incredibly nice and helpful and we had an absolutely incredible time. We hiked the Atlas Mountains, shopped at the souks in Marrakesh, and strolled the promenade in Casablanca. It was the trip of a lifetime.

There are still lots of things I would love to do someday - see the Great Pyramids, visit Greece, go on a photo safari in Africa, etc. - and if I ever am lucky enough to get the chance, I sure won't let a little thing like a language barrier stop me!

 

[OhMari]

Italy-And I didn't know the language. I was eating at a resturant and the couple next to us came over. She told me she was born in Wisconsin. Her parents met in WWII in Italy. Her dad was from Wisconsin and her mom from Italy. Her mom became so homesick that they moved back to Italy when she was 12. She told me her mother and father passed away but she was so excited to hear my accent-she said I sounded just like her dad. She spoke fairly good English but her husband did not. She said she also recognized that I cut my spaghetti when I was eating-something her father always did, which is a big no-no in Italy. You are suppose to swirl it around your fork.


Go to Northern Michigan-try to understand a Uupper talking! Now that is an unknown language.

 

[DisneyVillain]

Get a phrase book and an English-whatever dictionary. You will be treated much better if you try to communicate in their language, and some people will remember that they DO actually speak some English!

 

[HTH]

I plan on going to Japan next year, and don't know any of the laguage at all! maybe I need to start those online lessons soon!

You might wanna get used to "Baka Gaijin"

Just kidding.

 

[DisneyVillain]

Also, I can't tell you how many times I have seen people saying things in English that they would NEVER say if they realized that people around them did understand what they were saying! (And then they wonder why our table got bread and they didn't, or why the service is so slow in the restaurant they were just disparaging in English.)

 

[Sonya]

I've been all over Europe, starting in high school, and that was one of the reasons I learned French. I wanted to go back, especially to Switzerland and France, and as long as you know one of the major European languages you can make youself understood. The only problem was in Germany, and that was more of a kids being kids problem rather than a language or cultural problem.