Travel Tips: Dealing With Foreign Languages While Traveling

How can you travel if you don't speak the language where you're going?
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Video created by Gabriel Morris, who is the owner of all video or photo content. Filmed using an Olympus SP-810UZ and/or a GoProHero Plus LCD.

Thanks a lot for watching, and safe journeys!

Travel Tips: Dealing With Foreign Languages While Traveling

[marialauragalvez]

That moment when Gabriel teaches you more history than school ever will

[GlobalAdventurer]

Nice shirt Gabriel.

I try to learn all the basic greetings, and such phrases as thank you and how much in foreign languages before I go and write them down. And also use my phone if I have a data connection. (That's a big if). I remember spending a full day with a random lady on a tour bus in Mostar, Bosnia and she only spoke russian. But, through sign language (miming) we both understood each other on what we wanted to see and when we were ready to eat etc. Worked out great.

[minimalisttravelers]

Thx a lot
General question:
Where can we possibly leave our backpacks when exploring a town..
Situation: no host, no friend, people don't accept like in Singapore, ...

[planetwanderlust]

I always try to learn hello and thank you. Once I have said both I just smile and wave haha. But really interesting facts on the history of India. I have noticed how much you like India from your often trips to there and Nepal :)

[yishaidavidi]

Have you thought of a small drone you can put in your pocket. You could get up in the air.

[heidigretel]

Keep a friendly disposition when trying to communicate in non-English speaking countries. Friendly smiles and patience goes a long ways anywhere in the world.

[wanderingspirit]

Carry a small notebook w/pen that has 10 key phrases most commonly used in that country.
Practice these phrases before/during your trip. Refer to them when asking for help, directions etc..
if you need to. Using the foreign language app on your cell phone may also be helpful.
Most importantly, be nice and always SMILE when asking for help. Always say"thank you" in their language!

[gripen]

When one travels then one is the foreigner, also making an effort to try to communicate in the local language more often than not may take you a long way, fluency is not really the matter but one's effort is greatly appreciated and acknowledged, besides it makes interacting with people much more interesting, I've seen lots of times monolingual anglophones get belligerent towards local people when not understood when making demands in an arrogant way, it's pretty embarrasing just to look at, so be humble and realize you are the

[TheTravelingIntrovert]

When I was at a restaurant in Coyoacan, Mexico, I asked the manager where the bathroom was in spanish. I was having a little bit of anxiety because I'm embarrassed of my spanish, but then he responded in perfect english lmao!

[eathealthylivelife]

hey bro is there any website where i can teach my local moroccan dialect to the tourists cs only few people here speaks english?

[MoonFireGypsy]

I've learned in my travels that "bathroom" isn't really a recognized word in a lot of countries but "toilet" seems to be pretty universal LOL

[joeytravel]

You don't get bored full time traveling gabriel I think you need a girl/friend

[hoz]

Your camera footage is sharp, colorful...looking good!

[yishaidavidi]

The Phantom 4 drone, may fit the budget if one could find it cheap enough 500 or less.

[ARNABOSS]

sorry, bro, but not just 18 indian languages, there are at least 1500 recognized languages in the north eastern himalayan part of india only
a few hundred more in the eastern states, same for N, S and W regions :D :D

india is not just one nation but a multinational union that is slightly difficult for western ppl to to understand

just a factual corrigendum, otherwise, i agree to your statement

[yishaidavidi]

There is an universal translator that you speak into it in English and they hear their language and the they speak and you hear in English. check where you can get one.Developed by UCD in northern Cal. :)

[mathieutallard]

You showed how to ask for airport if not speaking english but you skip the bathroom way of saying youre looking for one !! I would have liked to see how you do it!! Its good to, laugh sometime. And its more helpfull than the airport. You gave too much credit to English in my opinion. Outside tourist areas, English doesn' t help. 50-100 words of local language is needed to fonction adequately. Maybe Asia like Thailand is different i hope. And having a pen and paper is good to get the cost of things if problem with numbers as it is usefull to get direction when having its own transportation. and a small

[theadventuresofbrockinthai]

HEY GABRIEL, GOOD VIDEO. I HAVE A STORY TO TELL YOU. IN THAILAND I HAVE A COFFEE/BAKERY SHOP THAT I GO TO ABOUT 3 DAYS A WEEK. THE OWNER IS A VERY NICE GUY AND MAKES AN EFFORT TO SPEAK ENGLISH, BECAUSE MY THAI IS NOT SO GOOD. OVER THE PAST 8 YEARS, I HAVE BEEN TEACHING HIM SOME SPANISH AS I COME FROM A CITY VERY CLOSE TO THE MEXICAN BORDER IN CALIFORNIA.

ONE DAY I WALKED IN AND PUT MY HANDS TOGETHER LIKE THEY NORMALLY DO IN THAILAND BUT I GREATED HIM IN SPANISH, AND HE GREATED ME BACK IN SPANISH. THERE WAS ANOTHER AMERICAN SITTING AT A TABLE AND HE LOOKED UP AT ME AND SAID " BOY, ARE YOU IN THE WRONG COUNTRY ".

I HAD A LOT OF FUN EXPLAINING TO HIM ABOUT WHY I SPEAK SPANISH TO MY FRIEND.

I LOVE GOING TO PLACES THAT I HAVEN'T BEEN TO BEFORE AND LEARNING ABOUT THERE CULTURE AND CUSTOMS. I ENJOY TRYING TO GET MY POINT ACROSS AND ONLY KNOWING A FEW WORDS OF THERE LANGUAGE AND MAYBE THE SAME FOR THEM.I JUST THINK IT MAKES LIFE A LITTLE MORE INTERESTING.

BROCK

[darek]

You ve good sound in your videos. How do you accomplish it ?

[MarkBH]

Thanks, Gabriel! Yes, I would say Spanish, Hindi and Chinese are big ones, along with English.