how much of the language should you know before going? does it depend on the country?
>>2730876>how much of the language should you know before going?Nothing.The only language you need to know is English.It's not your problem if the locals don't speak it.
>>2730879i have heard that locals appreciate you knowing some of their language though?
>>2730879Correct. The world is a playground for Anglos who want to get drunk and fuck whores. Nothing else matters.
>>2730892>i have heard that locals appreciate you knowing some of their language though?Right but they would appreciate themselves even more if they knew English.It's more of a shock response that borders with amusement rather than genuine appreciation.For them, it's like hearing a song they know played by a different performer. The surprise flatters them, but it can hardly be called respect.>>2730893>The world is a playground for Anglos who want to get drunk and fuck whoresCan't tell if you're serious but anything's possible at this board.Anyway learning some words and phrases is nice because it gives you a taste of their culture, but when it comes to a real dialogue with actual depth it must be conducted in English. That's the only way you could actually converse with someone instead of just exchanging vague remarks, because English is the ultimate language for self expression.
>>2730895>because English is the ultimate language for self expression.Can't tell if you're serious but anything's possible at this board.
>>2730901>Can't tell if you're serious but anything's possible at this boardThen prove me wrong and name a better one.I used to know someone who was fluent in like six or seven languages and he said English was the one he felt most comfortable expressing himself in. Also it wasn't his native tongue.
>>2730876zeroif they don't speak english they don't deserve my money
>>2730893This but unironically
>>2730927This, but unironicaally. If you try to speak the language they treat you like shit
>>2730876>does it depend on the country?It depends on the country, how long you are planning on staying, how long are you planning to use it, etc. Honestly with decent translation apps these days, it mitigates it hard.
>>2730876>>2730892I've found one thing to be important: learning the names of foods. Everything else is inconsequential. >>2730893Bullshit. More like 1% of the world is your playground.
>>2730876>does it depend on the country?It actually depends on your race.If you're white:>Europeans already assume you're a bumbling tourist who only speaks English>Asians only know English; other European languages are non-existent to them>Africans assume all white people speak either English or FrenchIf you're Asian:>Europeans assume you're a student or immigrant who only speak two languages: yours and theirs>other Asians assume you speak the same language as them>Africans assume you're a Chinese tourist or a Chinese businessmanOther:>no one wants to talk to you, but if they have to, they'll put in the lowest effort imaginable; either English or their local language>don't take this the wrong way, I have nothing against you, but the world is very much unkind
>>2730876hello and thank you
>>2731017h-hello...
>>2730879what about all the benefits of learning new languages? it's intellectually and socially a great deed being able to speak several languages
>>2730876I have a friend that told me he never learns anything about the other language, but I also don't think he ever leaves city hubs.
>>2731017How dare you not learn goodbyeThat'll be 20 bucks for that pint of beer, outlander
>>2730876For me, it just depends on: >how long I'm planning to spend in a country>how easy it will be to communicate with people there in English >how much I care about interacting with the locals If you only travel once or twice per year, I think learning a bit of the local language would be a great way to get stoked for a trip abroad. But if you're passing through multiple countries--on the same trip, or on separate trips in quick succession--you can't always justify taking the time to, say, learn Serbian, then Bulgarian, then Turkish, then Armenian, all in the course of about two months.
i want to visit rural italy and i think italian sounds funny and silly so i wanted to learn some>>2731015>learning the names of foodsgood idea, thanks
>>2730876I visited Japan not too long ago with perhaps N5 level Japanese (studied in high school, then stopped. I regret stopping but I'm thinking of picking it back up)You can tell it makes locals more comfortable if you try and speak their language. As a weird blond autistic guy, it helped me break the ice. But then again, many girls would approach me and speak English without my input. Very strange, right? What could they want from me? Anyways, here is a list a phrases you should know in your target country's language:>hello>thank you>sorry>pardon>where is [place]>may I please have [item]>helpRecognize the patterns in the language and continue to construct phrases from there. The Japanese were able to understand my Japanese, so it worked for me.
>>2730876Luckily there are rankings to help you with this.Blue = Most people are completely fluent in English. You do not need to know the local language to engage in any activity.Dark Green = Many people are completely fluent in English. Most people probably speak at least a little. You do not need to know the local language though it's probably a plus.Light Green = You can get around just fine in major cities just by speaking English, but if you want to go off the beaten path you should probably know the local language.Yellow = Very hard to get around without knowing the local language, outside of the touristy areas.Orange = People here barely speak any English at all, even in the tourist hotspots.
The willingness of Thais to speak what little English they know varies widely by region. On this trip I've rarely had to use a translator app, but in less tourist-friendly parts of the country, people may refuse to speak any English.
>>2732639Why would anyone take advice from a sperg on social behavior? Lmao
>>2732652Wouldn't rely on that too much as local proficiency variety within countries differs wildly. For example, having been to both Greece - top ranked - and Ivory Coast - all the way at the bottom - I can tell you that outside of big cities and tourist hotspots there were more English speakers in Ivory Coast. I amusingly ended up speaking French in Greece on a few occasions.
>>2730876You must have N1 proficiency in Japanese before going to Japan or you will SHAME yourself, your parents, your ancestors, your friends, your nation, your culture, other gaijin living over there and the Japanese of course. >pic is a gaijin getting raped by a pack of hungry Japanese keisatsu.
>>2732652>>2732758I’m also at least a little skeptical of this survey—I think China ranks too high and the UAE too low, among others. In China it’s very normal to be surrounded by people with negligible English, even in major cities. And 80%+ of the population of the UAE is made up of guest workers, most of whom speak better English than Arabic, if they speak Arabic at all. It’s very rare to find someone with no English at all.>>2732722I agree that English proficiency in Thailand varies by region—in the deep South and most of the Northeast, English is barely spoken at all. I wouldn’t categorize it as unwillingness, necessarily, although some people are shy/afraid to try to use it, just inability. I spent a few years in Isaan, and old people in shophouses were always panicking and running inside to grab a school-age grandchild to speak to me when they saw me coming, which was hilarious. Saw something similar in Greece, too—parents or grandparents with no English trotting out some kid.>>2730876I assume this thread was just bait, but I like to have basic politeness words, shopping words, asking for directions words, and numbers wherever I go, at least. But I enjoy languages. I’m reviewing my Greek phrases just this morning, as I’m flying to Athens in a couple of hours.
>>2733261kek
>Hello>Goodbye>Thank you>Excuse me>Yes>NoThat's already overkill
>>2730876as a chinese american i went to tokyo and occasionally would walk into a cafe and get talked up about promotionsI laid on my texas accent real quick to establish myself as not knowing jack shit about japanesein general alot of menus and instructions are either color coded or pictured and japanese are very verbal/physical with their mannerisms in the service industryso tokyo at least is very non-japanese friendly because theyre intuitivecouldnt tell you about other places though
My friend and I went to a soccer game in South America. Everything was good, our “guide” was the nephew of a restaurant owner in my city, all is good. And then out of the corner of my ear, I hear one of his buddies talking about our American IDs (you have to show ID to enter the stadium). Then I hear them say, “you’re a shark bro.” After that, they said, “we will do it inside or outside of the stadium?” If I wasn’t able to understand what they were talking about, we would have gotten robbed for our phones and ID and left outside of a stadium in the ghetto in the middle of the night, best case scenario. Obviously it depends where you are and what you are planning on doing. Just know that in some places that iPhone you have is worth 3 months work, and you are just flashing it and taking pictures like it’s nothing.
