How to travel when you don't speak English?

travel when you don't speak English

Needless to say, English is the most spoken language in the world and of course, it can be very useful when traveling. In many countries like Mongolia and China, English is spoken very little, but there will always be occasions when it comes in handy. Yes, because in the end a person who speaks a minimum of English, as difficult as it may seem, always finds themselves. It is much easier to ask for the information you need without running the risk of finding yourself in situations of misunderstanding. But in your case, you are not very good in the language of Shakespeare. Don’t panic, here are some ideas to be able to travel the world without being a doctor in English.

Download a normal or visual dictionary

Carrying a dictionary of any kind is one of the most important tips for traveling without knowing English.

With a normal dictionary you can quickly look up a specific word (and more if you don’t have internet or mobile access) and with a visual dictionary you can point to the image plus the word which will make communication easier.

The pocket dictionary should not be neglected. Get one!

Google translate is your best friend

With this little technological tool, you can translate a little bit of everything. Photos, signs, messages, etc. Its features are very useful: imagine in China, if you happen to enter a restaurant and find yourself in front of a menu obviously written in Chinese, what to do at that moment.

The first option is to close your eyes, point, and hope you ordered something decent.

The second is to remove the phone, open Google Translate and use the feature that allows you to translate text in real time.

At this point you just have to point the camera at the text and, thanks to a very interesting reality program, the text will be translated in real time and appear above the previous one. It must be said that this system is clearly not 100% reliable, but at least you will know if you are eating chicken or grasshoppers!

Use technology

Nowadays, technology is our best ally when traveling without knowing English. Aside from Google translate, the release of Google’s Pixel Buds headphones made a big announcement. It allows you to translate up to 40 languages. To do this, your interlocutor must speak into the speaker of your smartphone and you will hear the language translation directly in your earpieces. You can order this little gadget online.

Or, more simply, opt for an instant pocket voice translator also called pocketalk, which will also allow you to translate your conversation directly when needed. Depending on the model, with or without internet connection!

What if the solution was to learn the language while traveling?

Not a bad solution. Perhaps it is precisely in these situations that travel is most necessary.

For those who don’t know a foreign language, traveling is simply getting out of your comfort zone. It is precisely in these moments that we find skills that we do not even know we have.

Traveling is the best way to learn a language, especially English! It may take months to see substantial improvements. But if you choose to travel on a work exchange, you will find yourself interacting with local people and other travelers on a daily basis. You will be surprised how much you can learn this way!

Conclusion

If you have some time, start studying English already at home, to create a foundation that will surely be useful to you when you travel around the world. But apart from that, there is no language without which you cannot take the trip of your life even immediately!