Language travel guide - Blog

Traveling to Latin America is an exciting prospect for anyone but does anything about it make you just a little bit nervous? Even experienced travelers get the jitters before some trips, and one of the big reasons you might be feeling this way is that you are going to a region where a foreign language is spoken.

There is something strangely exhilarating about being surrounded by people who speak what sounds – to you at least – like complete nonsense. Of course, they are probably making the same kind of everyday small talk which you can hear in any city in any country in the world. However, if you don’t understand a word of Spanish then it can sound incredibly exotic.

That’s the really good bit out of the way though, isn’t it? Exhilarating and exotic are great concepts but how do I greet someone or get some medical help if I am sick?

Buenos Días / Buenas Tardes
Sometimes just saying “hola” might be too informal. For example, if you are going to be a business meeting then you will want to greet your colleagues with a hearty “good morning / good afternoon / good evening”. Buenas tardes is used for both the afternoon and evening in most places, instead of buenas noches, which sounds more as though you are just heading off to bed.

¿Como Esta? / ¿Como Estas?
One of the confusing things about the Spanish language is that there are two ways of saying a lot of things; formal and informal. In this case we are asking someone how they are when we first meet them. The informal way usually always ends in an “s” and if in doubt you should stick to the formal one.

¿Cómo Se Llama? / ¿Cómo Te Llamas?
The same formal / informal principle applies here but we are just asking their name, which is always a fine way to get to know someone really. If you get asked this question you reply “Me llamo..”
No Hablo Español
If you are in a meeting or a crowd of people then you might want to point out to them that you don’t speak the local language. If you want to ask whether someone speaks English then say “¿Habla inglés?”

¿Cuánto Cuesta?
Buying gifts and trinkets is one of the big highlights of a trip to Latin America, but you won’t want to splash out on anything until you know how much it costs. Of course, if you are going to ask this question you need to know your numbers in order to understand the answer. Learn up to maybe 10 if you can. If it costs more than that then it’s probably too expensive anyway.

¿Donde Está El Baño?
Some travelers to Latin America find that they spend a fair bit of time in the restroom, for want of a better expression. Knowing how to ask where this is located is therefore important. Don’t worry about the ñ letter too much, as it just sounds like the first n in onion.

Perdí Mi Pasaporte / Dinero
The majority of trips go smoothly but what if you get robbed or misplace your belongings while you are away? If you want to say that you have lost your passport or your money then this phrase will help get people’s attention.

Necesito Un Medico
Hopefully you never need this phrase either, but it is worth knowing in any case. If you are sick (”enfermo” for a man and “enferma” for a woman) then this is how you can let people know that you need a doctor.

Tengo Una Reservación
If you have already booked your hotel before you set off then you just need to turn up at the place and tell them that you have a reservation. If you don’t then try asking if they have any spare rooms by saying, “¿Hay habitaciones libres?” Don’t get confused with “gratis” and “libre”, by the way. They both mean “free” but in different contexts. You certainly won’t get a hotel room without paying.

 

Author: Ripley Daniels writes for Passports Without The Stress, a customer-friendly passport expediter specializing in same day passport services. With affiliates in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Houston, Philadelphia and New York, the company provides convenient local passport processing services for US travelers across the nation.

I recently spent two months in Thailand in Klong Six of Pathum Thani province — one hour north of Bangkok. My Mexican-American wife taught English to children at a government school, and to adults at a private school, while I ran my airfares website from our rented, three bedroom house on this street (below).

We had wild frogs hopping into our yard and lizards sticking in Mission Impossible poses on our ceiling. We started each day with a cold shower, because there was no water heater. I only saw another Westerner about once a week. I think you get the point – we were in the Thai boonies.

I anticipated the Thai language to twist my tongue due to its tonal nature, and this was initially the case. If you weren’t aware, essentially the same Thai word can have a completely different meaning depending on how you emphasize its vowels. The five different tones are low, mid, high, rising and falling. For example, “mai” has five different meanings:

mai = new (low tone)
mai = wood (high tone)
mai = why (mid tone)
mai = no / burn (falling)
mai = silk (rising)

Take a listen to the different pronunciations: Thaiworldview

Since different pronunciations can render the same word into a different meaning, you need to be spot on with your vowel tones.

Typically, when traveling to foreign countries, I learn several dozen popular words and expressions. For example, my linguistic journey to Japan was seamless because the pronunciations were a piece of cake, since each Japanese vowel has only one possible sound. It was pretty straightforward and reminded me of Spanish. However, Thai was a different story.

Here are 20 words and phrases along with my best attempt at an English transliteration to help your pronunciations. I highly recommend learning these before your next Siamese rendezvous (they are intentionally lower case to look less intimidating):

1. sawa dee kahp/kah = hello / good bye
This is the mahalo of Thailand — it construes hello and goodbye. Note: Men say “kah” at the end, while women say “kahp”. Say this word while doing a “wai” (see Ronald McDonald photo below), which is a bow with hands in prayer position. You will get very far with this expression.

2. sabai dee = i am good

3. kob koon kahp = thank you
This is the second most important phrase for a tourist, because you are usually finding yourself asking someone for something, such as directions, ordering food or buying tickets.

4. my pehn rye = no problem
This is said in response to kob koon kahp. This is a very popular phrase and was even the title of a pop song while I was in Thailand, so it was ingrained in my head. However, I rarely had a chance to use since I was usually the person giving thanks, not the other way around.

5. falang-set = foreigner
It’s a similar concept to the word “gaijin” in Japan. Falang, also pronounced “farang”, is the term that Thais refer to foreigners from the West as. The origins of this word are up for debate. It could be derived from the French word “Francais”, the Persian word for foreigner which is “farangi”, or some other unknown derivation.

6. kah tote = excuse me
Perfect for calling a waiter, or stopping a pedestrian for directions.

7. aroy = delicious
I said this often to wait staff or whoever prepared my meal. Using this often, along with generous tipping, will make you a very popular farang.

8. sway = beautiful
Sway describes something or someone this is pretty, like a sunset or a woman. Repeat the word twice in succession to signify “very beautiful”, as in “sway sway”.

9. ahan = food

10. naam = water

11. kow = rice

12. kow pad = fried rice

13. naam kahng = ice

14. chah yen = iced tea

15. som tom thai = papaya salad
This is the staple to any Thai meal. Get used to saying and eating this often.

16. peht = spicy

17. mai peht = not spicy

18. nit noy peht = a little spicy
After you nail down all 20 phrases, you can simply responded “nit noy”, when asked if you speak Thai.

19. hong naam = rest room

20. same same, but different = similar
Great English word phrase that most Thai people know. Perfect for telling a tuk tuk driver that he’s turning into the wrong hotel driveway.

 

The people of Thailand had beautiful personalities and easy smiles, and quickly embraced my attempts to speak Thai. Any gesture I made to a stranger was met with a beaming smile. However, desptie those positive vibes I felt uncomfortable delivering some of the Thai vowels tones. It wasn’t so much that the five different pronunciations were difficult, but I just felt like a giraffe trying to meow like a cat. I guess it was the embarrassment factor, initially. It just takes getting laughed at sveral times before you develop the appropriate strength and confidence — it’s worth it in the end. And, you will get laughed at, but at least you’ll be engaging and communicating with the locals.

 

Author:   FC Rau is an affiliate marketing veteran and born again soccer hooligan based in Gridlock Angeles, CA.

 

BATH, UK

Younilife.com is a first in social-media connecting for eager undergraduate students. Created in 2006 by Bath Spa University MA Branding and Design graduate Hagen Christoph, Younilife encompasses several grading criteria to ensure prospective students get the best overall University picture before they attend an institution. Unlike traditional university ranking methods based on self-promoting qualities and merit, at Younilife, the students deliver the message based off their own university experience.

The implications for direct access of information for potential students, by the current students, are staggering. Hagen Christoph explains; “I wanted to get independent advice on Universities to help prospective students.” Gone are the ‘bells and whistles’ approach on open days that institutions typically promote to garner their increasing student bodies. With a simple log online, any prospective UK student can access university information provided by students attending the academic institution. Hagen Christoph continues; “I felt students should be given a chance to share their views about their University of choice, and the information you get here is unique – you won’t find it anywhere else.” So far, many web browsers are checking it out, with Younilife receiving over 31,000 hits a month, and students expressing themselves online at the website; http://www.younilife.com/.

But there’s more to Younilife than service as a Uni-Watch. Several applications make a current student’s life easier, such as Accommodation Service and Student Job Search, which list vacant student properties and high-in-demand part-time jobs, respectively. Younilife also contains several recreational sections such as a Student Deal section, for budgeting, and a Student Music application, where students upload and rate fellow student songs. Additionally, Younilife currently works cooperatively with small private student radios, but has further goals to get connected all over the country. Hagen Christoph elaborates; “Our aim is to get some of the bigger radio stations involved, and to air Younilife’s top songs all across the UK.”

Obviously, given the web brands target demographic, young university-bound undergrads, it’s a case of whether these prospective students will ultimately consider taking their peers word over more informative and traditional means. But why wouldn’t they?? To assume that prospective students choose their university based solely on university academics is widely inaccurate- most students come to a conclusive decision after considering other factors, many of which universities may be unforthcoming with; industry connections to jobs, student facilities, teacher/student working ratio, etc. Additionally, there is a current void for a university’s consensus of approval outside of their own academic or athletic merit, one which Younilife could gladly fill. Finally, and perhaps most beneficial for Younilife’s case, young people simply do make decisions by word of mouth or by listening to their peers. It may well be that Younilife, with it’s shed-load of ‘insider’ information, may radicalise a few preconceptions about how to select a university, and ultimately the university itself. Ultimately, both time, and the students, will tell. For more information, check out Younilife at http://www.younilife.com/

If you’d like more direct information about this topic or to schedule an interview with Hagen Christoph, he is best contacted by number: +44789-434-1912 or at hagen@younilife.com.