Six point plan to deal with a foreign language on holiday

So you've reached your dream holiday destination but sadly, the local population doesn't seem to speak English or your lingua franca. Fret not, we've whipped out a few handy tips to help you find your way around anyway.

Get yourself a translator. If you can afford a professional translator life can become really smooth. If budgets are tight, figure out if you have friends in the city/country you are visiting. With the six degrees of separation funda, that shouldn't be too tough.



Carry a dictionary along. You could also look up words on the Internet, where a number of websites will translate words from almost any language into English.

Before you head off for that exotic vacation where you don't even know the local language, make sure you at least note down key phrases like thank you, sorry and how are you.

Befriend the taxi driver or bellboy and ask them to teach you a few colloquial phrases that will help you break
the ice with locals.

If you are in the mood to learn something new while on vacation, why not take up a language course? Mexico,
Italy, France, South America and Greece organise short-term language courses aimed at the tourist.

Try Voluntourism. Voluntourism is when you volunteer for a social cause while on a vacation. It's a great way to understand the local culture and pick up the language. Plus, it's good karma.

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