I recently read an article by the Lonely Planet that discussed a study saying that at least 10% of adults are discouraged to travel abroad because of the difficulty with language barriers. That is nearly 5 million people.
It is understandable how traveling the world would be difficult with the large language barriers that exist. But language barriers should not be a barrier from seeing the world.
I have been studying in Spain for almost 3 months now, and I have been blessed with the opportunity to travel across Europe and to places as far as Africa.
I have encountered a number of different languages, and have heard dialects completely foreign to me. Studying in Spain, it was hard for me to overcome my perfectionist mentality and just try to speak the Spanish language freely, to the best of my limited ability.
Traveling across Europe i learned that as long as you try to speak a few words in the local language, the people will appreciate it greatly. You will feel embarrassed. But the fact that you are trying speaks volumes about the type of traveler you are.
I learned that verbal communication is only just a small portion of comprehension. Manner and body language also play a very important role in your ability to communicate with people who speak another language than you.
Paying attention to visual cues can greatly help interpretation and comprehension. Listening in to conversations is another way to pick up the local lingo. Also, drawing notice to the way people speak to one another can help better your pronunciation.
Every time I travel to a new country, I try to write up a list of a few essential phrases to help me get by. Important phrases such as please, thank you, can I have, etc. Having a list of words to speak or point to helps ease worries of misinterpretation.
Google Translate will be your best friend while traveling. The Google Translate app also has a function where you can take a photo of something, and it will translate the words for you. This comes incredibly handy with restaurant menus.
Language barriers should not dispirit travel. Seeing the world and experiencing different cultures is well worth the few seconds of embarrassment or misinterpretation.
