Holiday Languages

It is well worth picking up a bit of the local language, wherever you travel. It helps you to get by in the hotel or restaurants, or when asking directions. It gives you a deeper insight into the culture. It also shows willing and courtesy - which never goes amiss.

A little goes a long way

You can get by in a foreign language with remarkably little. All you need is a knowledge of the standard greetings, please and thank-you, directions, numbers, colours, and other basic vocabulary. You can then speak a kind of pidgin or market language - the traditional basis of trade between two language communities. If you say: 'We leave tomorrow. How much three tickets? I pay now,' it may not sound elegant, but it is easily enough understood.

Phrase-book language

You can pick up this level of language from phrase books, from the introductions to languages at the back of guidebooks, and from websites (see for example www.word2word.com). They are a good start. You can take it one step further by buying basic language courses specially designed for holiday travel. These are often accompanied by CDs or DVDs, which will introduce you to how the language sounds, and get you practising pronunciation. Some online courses offer text and audio help simultaneously (see for example www.bbc.co.uk/languages).

Go for it!

Remember: when you're on holiday, don't be shy! Have a bash - even if you know only a few basic phrases. Making mistakes is all part of language-learning. Just making the effort is usually warmly appreciated.

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