Embrace embarrassment – learn a second language! - travel tips and articles

Jan 29, 2011 5:31:56 AM

Embrace embarrassment – learn a second language!

Renee Bergere
Lonely Planet Author

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So you wanna learn a second language during your stay abroad? Sure, classes, textbooks and flashcards work – but we’ve got some tips for busting through the I-sound-ridiculous-so-I’m-not-going-to-say-anything level to Oh-my-god-I’m-speaking-and-people-understand-me level. It’ll take hard work. There will be tears. It’ll all be worth it, we swear.

Throw pride to the wind. You won’t learn a language if you have an ego. Learning a language means being embarrassed every day you speak it: sputtering out a request for a bus ticket, mispronouncing an innocent word to mean something cringingly naughty, or the very worst – receiving a blank/confused look after delivering what you think is a flawless sentence. Yes, you sound like a two-year-old on laughing gas. Some people may even take you for a lunatic. Who cares? It’s all part of the fun. Embrace it!

Immerse yourself. Seriously jump all the way in. No wading. No water wings (AKA compatriot friends who insist on speaking English). Watch TV, listen to the radio, eavesdrop while on public transportation, strike up random conversations with little old ladies in the park, whatever. It’ll all help you.

Ask for correction. In most cultures it’s rude to correct someone’s speech. You’ll unwittingly keep making the same mistakes unless you straight out ask for people’s help. After they correct you, repeat it back (as many times as possible without scaring people away) to train your ear.

Befriend, befriend, befriend. Join clubs, introduce yourself to neighbours, go out to pubs, ask to join the ultimate frisbee game you pass by in the park. Again, anything goes. Having friends who don’t speak a lick of English are the best (more practice for you!).

Be realistic. Learning a language takes time. A lot of it. It takes decades to master, years to converse without brain frizzle, months to say approximately what you mean, and days to well, get by – if you use LOTS of body language.

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Comments

27 October 2009 10:17PM webgeekstress Report this comment
The best advice I ever got was from my high school French and Spanish teacher and is related to the first point ("throw pride to the wind"): go out drinking with native speakers of the language you're trying to learn. Alcohol lowers inhibitions and tends to make people chatty.
28 October 2009 12:47AM anahi79 Report this comment
I agree 100% "throw pride to the wind"
15 November 2009 12:37AM yakkalot Report this comment
Best advice I ever got was 'Just learn words'. Who cares if your sentence is actually 'ticket bus dollars how many please' locals will usually be overjoyed you're not simply repeating in english even louder 'I-W-A-N-T B-U-S T-I-C-K-E-T or using bizarre sign-language and making an effort to speak their language.
And of course throw shame into the wind and go for gold!
16 November 2009 6:45AM queentimely Report this comment
We're living in Italy this year -- our home is Western Australia -- and have just transferred our 8-year old daughter from the European School to the local school in Angera, Lombardia. Bless her -- she'll be learning Italian and we'll do our best to support her.
29 September 2010 3:06PM globetrotter03 Report this comment
When I was in Germany learning the language and thought I was pretty clever when I went to McDonalds with a couple of my new german friends and in the happy meal I purchased was a smurf toy. I exclaimed loudly and with absolute certainty I was using the right vocabulary - "Hey - Ich hab' eine suesse schlampe!" which translated is something like - Hey I have a sweet c***t - needless to say I soon after always remember the very similar word "schlumpf" which does actually mean smurf.... ah the joys of learning another language!
10 January 2011 2:48PM indounik Report this comment
I find it helpful to keep a small notebook with me and when I hear a new or interesting word then I write it down. I have the speaker spell it for me if I'm unsure and I write down the meaning alongside it. I review the list when I'm waiting for friends or transport or over breakfast or whatever.
I confess I may never master the nuances of pronounciation though. For the 10 months I lived near the village of Kutuh Kaja north of Ubud in Bali in 2006, I drew quizzical looks whenever I tried to give directions to "rumah saya". Try as hard as I might to get it right, the way I pronounced it was kutu - headlice!
1 February 2011 1:59PM tomstar86 Report this comment
Love these tips! I'm learning Korean and, although I read, write and understand it quite well, I'm more often than not TERRIFIED to speak it - and I can understand what the person is saying after I've spat out broken English when they're calling me a dumb foreigner lol!
Speak, speak, speak is the best advise!
Tom
http://waegook-tom.com
10 February 2011 6:21AM vvt Report this comment
Learn tha spoken version first. Master tha rhythm and style immedjutly. Read written ONLY for reference or backup. Le'rn ta slur th'words like real people do. Ah gud exercise is ta practice speakin nonsense, focused only on tha sounds, intonations expressions and hand gestures.
Later you'll discover that all those "irregular-verbs" are simply the easiest (or only) way to pronounce them -- Duhhhh.
Be aware of local dialects. Most places upper-class is very different from street-slang.
I agree with many ideas above, especially: get your basic 200 "survival words" first -- that will get you understood even if errors Then pick up grammar, syntax and intonation as you listen and practice.
Look for those unique sounds that are NOT in y'ur own language. You'll need ta LEARN ta make'm -- which'll really help y'ur overall pronounciation.
DO NOT ever attempt speaking Arabic or Chinese, using English sounds; it'l never work properly.
6 September 2011 12:23AM fourjandals Report this comment
After spending the long weekend in Paris I have to agree with the tips whole-heartedly! Just practice on everyone with a flash of a smile and they will warm to you a lot quicker than just jumping in with English. My top phrases for French are here - http://fourjandals.blogspot.com/
Cheers FourJandals
6 September 2011 5:03PM poekie Report this comment
Talk to children! I owe a big chunk of my Dutch to my boyfriend's nieces. You won't have to ask for correction with them! Either they get what you're trying to say or they will tell you straight out "that's not how you say that!". Reading children's books out loud also is great practice. They know it by heart and will tell you where you're messing with the story, you'll see. Playing together is great for your vocabulary, because they'll teach you by showing what they mean if "you don't get it".
29 September 2011 10:29PM annoir Report this comment
poekie is right! When I worked at a day care center, I would ask the Chinese children to show me how to write Chinese. I would invariably get it wrong and they would howl with laughter. No teacher, that is WRONG! It tickled them to no end that they knew more than an adult!
4 October 2011 3:28AM caityy Report this comment
It can be very overwhelming feeling "left out of the loop" all the time! But best advice from above is to try not getting embarrassed, jump in and IMMERSE YOURSELF! You'll be surprised how many words/phrases you pick up.
Im Australian and have been living in Mexico for almost 6 months already and find myself constantly floundering! You just have to stick with it and remember everyone learns at a different rate!! I tell myself that EVERYDAY!! HAHAHAHA