Monday, 13 July 2009
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Language Barriers: What Did You Say?
When it comes to backpacking over multiple countries, it can be difficult to prepare yourself for the language barriers. Its easy to pick up a few words here and there, but considering how much time you spend in a country, you want to be able to say more than “Hello” and “Goodbye”
Its a lot of work, especially in a short period of time to learn the entire language. If you’re traveling to a few countries with vast language differences, here is our advice:
1. Podcasts: If you’re planning to bring your iPod on your travels, this is a great inexpensive way to pick up on a language. Throw in some language Podcasts on your iPod and listen to it on your plane, train and bus rides!
2. iPhone Application: Congratulations if you are lucky enough to have one of these intricate devices! Use it to its full potential and check out the different applications. I am a big fan of the World Nomads applications. They have a few sections with lots of phrases and it will speak the phrases out loud! So if you’re trying to ask how much a room is, politely show the person your iPhone and let it do the talking for you!
3. Print Out Information: While your abroad, check out a local library and print some phrases. It takes less than a second and it gives you a chance to write it out and practice your writing skills as well.
4. Get Out There!: The best way to learn the language, is to speak with the locals. Make yourself known and ask questions. Find a friendly English speaking person and cruise the town together. Teach them English and voila! You know another language (Somewhat) and you’ve made a new friend!
What do you do to try to learn a language? Have you used any of these methods and do they help?
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Comments (8)
In my second year of Japanese my professor taught me a trick: Look up TV shows online in the original language and watch without subtitles.
I started watching this soap opera (it was adorable) called "red string" about halfway through the season I realized that I was slowly catching on and able to understand most of what they were saying!
I recommend it for everyone.
3 & 4.
take a class and listen to music in that language.
my friend listens to japanese instruction audiotapes on the way to work.
me, i just read a lot. that's how i got so good at english.
I've been learning Spanish for the past um, a lot of years.
However, it deifnitely helped when I immersed myself in the language by spending 5 weeks in the Dominican Republic. I want to go back (or to another Spanish speaking country) for longer!
Though, at home, I like to watch the Spanish TV channel or listen to the Spanish radio in the car, but this one doesn't really help me all that much, I don't think, b/c I tend to not really pay much attention to what they're saying on the radio even in English.
I started out reading Children's books in Spanish too and have worked my way up to harder short-stories and am currently reading The Wizard of Oz (the novel) in Spanish. :P
Since I know a lot more of the language now, I try to look up words that I don't know in a Spanish dictionary (therefore, associate new Spanish words with Spanish words I already know...but if I don't know ANY of them...gotta pull out that Spanish/English dictionary).
For simple words and things, it might help to label them around your house (label the chairs, doors, tables, etc. with the names of those things in the language you're learning and then everytime you look at the item, repeat the name several times).
just crank the body language - works really well, not just in clubs
Aw! Thank you tripcrazed! I used the ipod method to learn some Japanese ^_^. If you stay consistent, it really sticks!
there's an iphone app that translates languages when you speak into it?!? whaaaat?? I'm feeling the impulse to switch plans to at&t just for that shiz. hahaha