Language - 语言

The world is diversified, and languages ​​are also diversified. There are more than 5,000 languages ​​in the world, and more than 20 of them have more than 50 million users. It is conceivable that tourists will face much trouble if the language is not communicated. This article aims to provide travellers with suggestions for breaking through the language barrier. For specific language phrases, please refer toPhrasebook。

Solve the dilemma of language barriers

The easiest way to think of isFind a guide who speaks the local language, Which often plays an important role in business travel. However, you may want to consider the salary of the tour guide. Alternatively, it is also a good choice to ask the local embassy for help. It is important to "know people and make good use". Choosing a reliable tour guide can save a lot of time, although sometimes the financial expenditure of the traveler will be more. Learning the local language is a more straightforward way, especially when you are planning to travel long distances. Long-distance travel means long-term communication with local people, and learning the local language is imperative. The power of the phrase book is not to be underestimated. Not only can it help you find what you want to say, it can also be a leisure reading while waiting for the bus or flight.

  • Have the courage to speak: When learning a foreign language, in order to avoid learning a "dumb foreign language", the courage to speak is a necessary quality. Even if your foreign language proficiency is limited to greetings and numbers, the locals will not look down on you-because everyone knows that everyone's language proficiency is always limited to his knowledge of the language. It is of course good to be able to communicate in the local language. If you do not understand the local language, you can try to use English.
  • Try another language: Many people speak two or more languages. For example, many Kazakhs speak Russian, and some Vietnamese speak French. If you don’t know the local language, it’s okay to switch to another language.
  • Use idioms as little as possible: Travelers use foreign languages ​​not to show off their knowledge of the language, so try to avoid proverbs if they can express their meaning clearly. From another perspective, if tourists always speak idioms, the locals will use more idioms because tourists are proficient in their language, which will make tourists at a loss.
  • Use hand gestures wisely: Body language is also very important. When the verbal language cannot clearly express the meaning, body language plays a role.

Regional language

There are many countries and regions that use the same language, and mastering these international languages ​​can avoid a lot of trouble.

The main international languages ​​in the world, from top to bottom on the left are Spanish, Arabic, French, Russian, Chinese, Hindustani, Portuguese, German, Swahili, Persian and Malay/Indonesian. In addition, English speakers are distributed all over the world.

Use English to overcome language difficulties

English is a worldwide language, and there are English speakers in almost any corner of the world. However, even though English is widely distributed, the distribution of English speakers in a country is usually not even.

In non-English speaking countries, people in capitals and big cities usually speak English more than people in small towns. You can try to find an English-speaking tour guide, or you can speak English yourself (it couldn't be better).

If your own country has many signs in English, your feelings will be more obvious. The figure below shows the percentage of the English-speaking population of each country in that country.

The proportion of the English-speaking population in all countries in the world. The greener the color, the higher the proportion, the redder the color, the lower the proportion, and the gray is no data.

also,American English and British EnglishThere are also differences. But more often, people don't care about these.

Universal phrase

Just as the English "OK" and "bye-bye" have been widely used in the Chinese circle, there are always some foreign phrases that are universally applicable to understand the meaning without your special study.

  • The word "Merci" in French can also be used in Persian and Bulgarian to express gratitude.
  • The popularity of CD/DVD is much higher than its full name.
  • Although "WC" is not commonly used in English to mean bathroom (and restroom or bathroom to mean), the combination of these two letters is more understandable in many other environments.
  • The "Hotel", "Taxi" and "Menu" on the menu in hotels, taxis, and menus are very common even in China.
  • "茶" is tea in English, but there is a word that you will think is more convenient, which is "chai". Chai is pronounced like "tea" in Chinese, but you'd better say chai when you can't remember "tea".

Language-a tourist consideration

  • Tourists prefer to go to a country where the local language is familiar to them. There are more tourists from English-speaking countries to Australia than to Argentina. A large part of the reason is that there are more speakers of English than Spanish.
  • Learning foreign languages ​​may be the reason for cross-border travel, and learning foreign languages ​​may be the driving force for traveling abroad.
  • If possible, overseasTeach ChineseNot bad.

In a word, language may not play a decisive role in travellers' planning, but it is one of the factors that cannot be ignored.

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