Background:
My mother asked me yesterday if I could advise her friend on which app/book/program/whatever to buy in preparation for a trip to Germany. I suggested that she just learn the basics: yes, no, hello, goodbye, please, thank you. That's the minimum that I learn whenever I go to a foreign country if I know nothing about the local language and I'm just going for a short period, because, in general, no one is going to expect a tourist to know the local language (unless you're visiting an English-speaking country). Basic English is usually enough for touristy activities in most countries. I gave her further advice of using Pimsleur or Assimil depending on how many money and/or time the friend wanted to dedicate to her German learning. And if Pimsleur/Assimil is too much to deal with, then just get a phrasebook, ideally with audio so that she could satisfy her need to learn a few phrases.
Question:
If you were advising someone who was going on a trip (to common tourist destinations) and wanted to learn more than just hello/goodbye/yes/no/please/thank you but less than going through Pimsleur and/or Assimil, then what would be the basic phrases you would suggest for them? I know this is a little harder since the phrases might change a little bit depending on the country, but let's just assume it's a monolingual English-speaker visiting a non-English-natively-speaking European country. Let's further assume that this person wants to have 10 phrases in their back pocket to use when appropriate. She doesn't expect to have conversations, but she wants to be a respectful tourist and feels a little bad that she doesn't speak the local language.
I'll start with a few:
Hello, my name is <insert name>.
I don't speak <insert language>.
Thanks for your help.
What are the 10 most useful generic sentences for visiting a foreign country?
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Re: What are the 10 most useful generic sentences for visiting a foreign country?
Those strike me as good suggestions.
I usually like to expand the "I don't speak ..." sentence to make clear that I am apologetic rather than proud of the fact, so "I am sorry, I do not speak [your weird moon language]."
"I would like... this/these/that/ those" (and keep pointing finger ready for action).
"Can you help me?"
"Where is ....?" (Specific for Germany, a country high on my bucket list but one I have not yet visited but which I imagine is fully populated by huge steins of beer which I will feel obliged out of politeness to drink: "Where is the bathroom?")
Specific for Italy, "Why are none of the statues wearing pants"
I usually like to expand the "I don't speak ..." sentence to make clear that I am apologetic rather than proud of the fact, so "I am sorry, I do not speak [your weird moon language]."
"I would like... this/these/that/ those" (and keep pointing finger ready for action).
"Can you help me?"
"Where is ....?" (Specific for Germany, a country high on my bucket list but one I have not yet visited but which I imagine is fully populated by huge steins of beer which I will feel obliged out of politeness to drink: "Where is the bathroom?")
Specific for Italy, "Why are none of the statues wearing pants"
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Re: What are the 10 most useful generic sentences for visiting a foreign country?
I've never visited a foreign country before. But using my knowledge of courses that have prepared me for that concept, I'll give it a shot.
1. Numbers 1-100, but if the language declines them heavily, that's up to the tourist to decide how much of a perfectionist they want to be
2. "The meal was delicious! Compliments to the chef!"
3. "May I have [that/those/it/one/them]?"
4. "Do you have a first-aid kit?" or "Could you call [country's version of 911]? It's an emergency!"
5. "Can you take a photo of me/us?"
6. "May I have a refund?"
--> "The food tasted bad."
--> "There was a hair in my food."
--> "It wasn't to my liking." ...
etc., for the situation.
7. "Your country is beautiful."
8. "Which aisle are the personal care products in?"
9. "Is there anybody available that speaks [your language]? I don't speak [country's language], and I need help."
10. "Which way to...?"
1. Numbers 1-100, but if the language declines them heavily, that's up to the tourist to decide how much of a perfectionist they want to be
2. "The meal was delicious! Compliments to the chef!"
3. "May I have [that/those/it/one/them]?"
4. "Do you have a first-aid kit?" or "Could you call [country's version of 911]? It's an emergency!"
5. "Can you take a photo of me/us?"
6. "May I have a refund?"
--> "The food tasted bad."
--> "There was a hair in my food."
--> "It wasn't to my liking." ...
etc., for the situation.
7. "Your country is beautiful."
8. "Which aisle are the personal care products in?"
9. "Is there anybody available that speaks [your language]? I don't speak [country's language], and I need help."
10. "Which way to...?"
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Re: What are the 10 most useful generic sentences for visiting a foreign country?
Vocabulary lists
Survival vocabulary
The survival vocabulary lists available here are based on Nation, P., & Crabbe, D. (1991). A survival language learning syllabus for foreign travel. System, 19(3), 191-201 (available under Publications on this web site). They provide a beginning list of useful words and expressions for someone who is going to spend some time in another country and who wants to quickly begin speaking the local language to greet and thank people, to go shopping, to travel, and to deal with common problems. It takes around a total of four hours of using bilingual word cards to learn most of this vocabulary for a particular language. Read the Nation and Crabbe article to get advice on learning the vocabulary.
https://www.victoria.ac.nz/lals/about/s ... eful-links
Survival vocabulary
The survival vocabulary lists available here are based on Nation, P., & Crabbe, D. (1991). A survival language learning syllabus for foreign travel. System, 19(3), 191-201 (available under Publications on this web site). They provide a beginning list of useful words and expressions for someone who is going to spend some time in another country and who wants to quickly begin speaking the local language to greet and thank people, to go shopping, to travel, and to deal with common problems. It takes around a total of four hours of using bilingual word cards to learn most of this vocabulary for a particular language. Read the Nation and Crabbe article to get advice on learning the vocabulary.
https://www.victoria.ac.nz/lals/about/s ... eful-links
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Re: What are the 10 most useful generic sentences for visiting a foreign country?
Assuming you already know please, thank you etc, my 10 would be...
1. I don't understand.
2. I'm sorry, I don't speak (language X). Do you speak English?
3. Toilet/Men/Women
4. How much does it cost?
5. Help!
6. Can I have the bill please?
7. Can I pay by card?
8. Excuse me, is this seat free?/Excuse me, you're sitting in my seat!
9. Can I have a bag please?
10. A large glass of wine white, please
1 and 2 are self-explanatory
3 isn't a sentence, but personally I don't find learning how to say "Where is the toilet?" in a language I don't speak is very helpful, because if someone tells me that I need to go down the stairs and take the second left, I'm not going to understand the answer. So I think it's sufficient to be able to say the word for toilet, in the hope that people can just point you towards it, and also to know how to tell which toilet is male/female if there aren't helpful pictures. I once spent half a week in the Ukraine using a communal male bathroom as a result of inadequate signs
4 is useful for pointing at things in shops, trying to buy bus tickets etc. People will often type the price into their calculator or write it on a piece of paper for you, so it doesn't matter if you don't know enough numbers to understand the answer.
5 has been a personal favourite of mine ever since I got locked in a toilet in Poland.
6 is really useful in laid back countries where no one cares how long you spend over your lunch and the waiters are not in a hurry to make you pay. 7 is also useful in restaurants, as there are still plenty of places that prefer cash. In fact maybe 7 should come before 6, as you don't want to find out that they don't take cards when you're already at the stage of asking for the bill!
The first variant of 8 is useful for trains/buses in most European countries. The second variant is mandatory for Croatia, where you can guarantee that someone else will be sitting in your reserved seat They probably won't move when you tell them it's your seat, but it may make you feel better to get it off your chest.
I think 9 is becoming increasingly important as more and more countries try to reduce waste from plastic carrier bags. I always forget to bring reusable bags with me from home; in some countries it's fine and you can pick up reusable bags at the checkout and pay for them with your groceries, but other countries seem inclined to keep the bags hidden away and you have to ask. As a minimum, I think learning the word for "bag" would be helpful.
10 - I couldn't get through a holiday without that one
1. I don't understand.
2. I'm sorry, I don't speak (language X). Do you speak English?
3. Toilet/Men/Women
4. How much does it cost?
5. Help!
6. Can I have the bill please?
7. Can I pay by card?
8. Excuse me, is this seat free?/Excuse me, you're sitting in my seat!
9. Can I have a bag please?
10. A large glass of wine white, please
1 and 2 are self-explanatory
3 isn't a sentence, but personally I don't find learning how to say "Where is the toilet?" in a language I don't speak is very helpful, because if someone tells me that I need to go down the stairs and take the second left, I'm not going to understand the answer. So I think it's sufficient to be able to say the word for toilet, in the hope that people can just point you towards it, and also to know how to tell which toilet is male/female if there aren't helpful pictures. I once spent half a week in the Ukraine using a communal male bathroom as a result of inadequate signs
4 is useful for pointing at things in shops, trying to buy bus tickets etc. People will often type the price into their calculator or write it on a piece of paper for you, so it doesn't matter if you don't know enough numbers to understand the answer.
5 has been a personal favourite of mine ever since I got locked in a toilet in Poland.
6 is really useful in laid back countries where no one cares how long you spend over your lunch and the waiters are not in a hurry to make you pay. 7 is also useful in restaurants, as there are still plenty of places that prefer cash. In fact maybe 7 should come before 6, as you don't want to find out that they don't take cards when you're already at the stage of asking for the bill!
The first variant of 8 is useful for trains/buses in most European countries. The second variant is mandatory for Croatia, where you can guarantee that someone else will be sitting in your reserved seat They probably won't move when you tell them it's your seat, but it may make you feel better to get it off your chest.
I think 9 is becoming increasingly important as more and more countries try to reduce waste from plastic carrier bags. I always forget to bring reusable bags with me from home; in some countries it's fine and you can pick up reusable bags at the checkout and pay for them with your groceries, but other countries seem inclined to keep the bags hidden away and you have to ask. As a minimum, I think learning the word for "bag" would be helpful.
10 - I couldn't get through a holiday without that one
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Re: What are the 10 most useful generic sentences for visiting a foreign country?
- I need a doctor.
- I need a policeman.
- One beer please
- How many goats for your wife?
- Why did they build the castle so close to the airport?
- How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?
- What happens when you get 'scared half to death' twice?
- What was Captain Hook's name before he got the hook?
- If you were driving at the speed of light and turned on your headlights, what would happen?
- How far east can you go before you're heading west?
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Re: What are the 10 most useful generic sentences for visiting a foreign country?
I like Radioclare's list! Rather than repeat most of it, I'll just copy her's and change two:
1. I don't understand.
2. I'm sorry, I don't speak (language X). Do you speak English?
3. Toilet/Men/Women
4. How much does it cost?
5.Help! I am going to ... / I want to go to ...
6. Can I have the bill please?
7. Can I pay by card?
8.Excuse me, is this seat free?/Excuse me, you're sitting in my seat! My friend doesn't eat pork.
9. Can I have a bag please?
10. A large glass of wine white, please
Number 5: I've also been locked in a restroom! Though I figure banging on the door and yelling hey!!!! works in most languages. I like knowing how to say "I am going to ... " - it feels more polite than just telling a taxi driver, bus driver, or ticket agent the name of your destination.
Number 8: This was very useful when traveling in Mexico with a Muslim friend. Variations would work for people who don't eat meat, spicy food, etc. I don't bother with "I don't eat ..." since I'll eat just about anything.
1. I don't understand.
2. I'm sorry, I don't speak (language X). Do you speak English?
3. Toilet/Men/Women
4. How much does it cost?
5.
6. Can I have the bill please?
7. Can I pay by card?
8.
9. Can I have a bag please?
10. A large glass of wine white, please
Number 5: I've also been locked in a restroom! Though I figure banging on the door and yelling hey!!!! works in most languages. I like knowing how to say "I am going to ... " - it feels more polite than just telling a taxi driver, bus driver, or ticket agent the name of your destination.
Number 8: This was very useful when traveling in Mexico with a Muslim friend. Variations would work for people who don't eat meat, spicy food, etc. I don't bother with "I don't eat ..." since I'll eat just about anything.
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Re: What are the 10 most useful generic sentences for visiting a foreign country?
I traveled to over 14 countries in Europe and Asia last year, and by far "Do you speak English?" was the most useful phrase of them all.
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Re: What are the 10 most useful generic sentences for visiting a foreign country?
rdearman wrote:
- I need a doctor.
- I need a policeman.
- One beer please
- How many goats for your wife?
- Why did they build the castle so close to the airport?
- How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?
- What happens when you get 'scared half to death' twice?
- What was Captain Hook's name before he got the hook?
- If you were driving at the speed of light and turned on your headlights, what would happen?
- How far east can you go before you're heading west?
An Egyptian used #4 on my friend before...
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Re: What are the 10 most useful generic sentences for visiting a foreign country?
Thanks
Help!
I am allergic to ...
I am treated for ...
Where are the toilets?
The rest of your needs can wait till someone speaking English appears.
Phrases 3 or 4 can save your life in a setting, where English is not everyone's priority.
Help!
I am allergic to ...
I am treated for ...
Where are the toilets?
The rest of your needs can wait till someone speaking English appears.
Phrases 3 or 4 can save your life in a setting, where English is not everyone's priority.
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