Yeah it’s surprising how well a few basic words go over while traveling. I try to learn greetings, excuse me and sorry, thank you, and maybe even “Do you speak English?” (although that’s probably the least useful one for obvious reasons).
If I’m feeling really motivated (which almost never happens) I’ll throw in numbers and a few basic verbs. Less useful these days with smartphones, but managing to get out something like “I want go [place]?” at least got people who could point you in a direction.
Yeah it really shows you put in the effort. Throwing your phone in someone’s face with a translation app open isn’t the most enjoyable experience but obviously needs to happen when the language barrier becomes too much.
Sure, I definitely think key words and phrases is great. More than that is going above and beyond. People will appreciate the effort.
Yeah it’s surprising how well a few basic words go over while traveling. I try to learn greetings, excuse me and sorry, thank you, and maybe even “Do you speak English?” (although that’s probably the least useful one for obvious reasons).
If I’m feeling really motivated (which almost never happens) I’ll throw in numbers and a few basic verbs. Less useful these days with smartphones, but managing to get out something like “I want go [place]?” at least got people who could point you in a direction.
Yeah it really shows you put in the effort. Throwing your phone in someone’s face with a translation app open isn’t the most enjoyable experience but obviously needs to happen when the language barrier becomes too much.