| ||||||||||||
|
Languages for Travelers
ABOVE: You don't have to attend a language school to communicate as a tourist, but it's a fun way to meet Europeans. Is it important to know the local language when traveling in Europe? Not necessarily. Travel writer Bill Bryson doesn't think so, according to this passage from his book Neither Here Nor There:
Still, for most of us, a smattering of the local lingo makes travel easier. Being able to say "Thank you," "Excuse me," "That one, please," or "Where is the toilet?" is more convenient than relying on improvised sign language--at least for tourists who haven't been trained as mimes. The key phrase here is "a smattering," a.k.a. "un soupçon" or "a little bit." You don't require a Ph.D. in French to buy croissants in Paris, and you needn't memorize the contents of a Langenscheidt German-English dictionary to rent a room in Berlin. With a vocabulary of even 100 words and the ability to string a rudimentary sentence together, you'll be able to communicate basic needs and courtesies while traveling. Next Page > How to learn > Page 1, 2, 3, 4
|
|
|