"No turn is a wrong turn"
Travel Tips
~
Communicating with Europeans While Traveling
(or “Do I speak English THEY can understand?“)
Continental Airlines is my favorite airlines. Sure I’m from Houston, but they’re just “down-right good!” Usually
that is. On a recent trip from New Orleans back to Houston, as we took off, the young flight attendant gave the
in-flight PA that sounded something like this, “You’reonflight8aeoireouidhfkucpoiuwlkadkhvpaoiusydfthankyouforflyingcon-tin-innn-tallllll.”
She was truly speaking faster than I (and other passengers) could listen, let alone understand! Now our daughter
(late 20’s) used to speak very fast in her high school days, so I’ve had some experience in this “megaburstverbality.”
But this all-too-typical example of younger generation speech habits drove home a major point to remember when
you travel to Europe. The point? Are you speaking faster than others can understand?
As I’ve noted before in this column, many Western European countries have required their students to take English
language courses for nigh-on 20 years or so. Therefore, many locals you meet on your backroads jaunts through Germany,
Austria, France, Switzerland, etc. speak English. In addition to those English Only Word Twisters in last month’s
Bill’s Backroads #13, here’s a few more suggestions to remember when trying to communicate with others.
The all time classic is “don’t shout…they ain’t deaf, they just speak another language”.
Don’t wave your hands wildly as you try to communicate....only your spouse with the movie camera appreciates those
moves.
DO Speak reasonably slowly and distinctly (My Grandmother’s favorite phrase was ENUNCIATE properly and clearly).
DO ask if they speak English, preferably by asking in their own language, (http://world.altavista.com/)
“Please,
do you speak English?”
German: Bitte sprechen Sie Englisch?
French: Svp, parlez-vous anglais ?
Italian : Prego, parlate inglese?
Spanish: ¿Por favor, usted habla inglés?
Dad’s favorite was a pad and pencil to write in
English so they can translate without the confusing sounds of another language, i.e. “toilet” in English can be
“toilette” in French. But the French may pronounce it so differently than it sounds in English. Soon you just learn
“WC” and that says it all.
When you ask this question, many locals will respond, “Actually I do speak a little English.”
As you do begin to communicate, remember to use basic common English words, and speak slowly and distinctly. If
you speak a little of their language, by all means, now is the time to use it when you can... remember you’re BOTH
nervous with your foreign language capabilities, and what better time to practice than on each other.... laughing
at both your mistakes.... learning how to pronounce PROPERLY words in the other’s language... and making a lasting
friendship !
Want to learn a foreign language?
In past Bill’s
Backroads #7 we have touched on some of my favorite “language
learning books and tapes.” The intent of these noted teachings is primarily “how to learn German language” or words.
What’s all this Language Stuff anyway? In the U.S. we speak English! Well, yes and no. In our daughter and son’s
Houston public high school a decade or so ago, there were students from 64 different nationalities in attendance.
How many different languages did that represent? One common language, English, united them all.
So maybe, just maybe there’s so much more to backroads travel communications than we realize. When we’re traveling
in the country of others, we need to try to understand the peoples we meet, their basic social “norms” and how
foreign we are to them.
First, in small towns of Germany, Austria, and other European countries, so many of these local people seldom travel
away from their little burg, let alone travel outside their region or country. And since generations of their family
have stayed in the immediate area, making their homes and raising their families, it’s a distressful loss when
a younger member of their family must move to a different place many kilometers away just to find a job!
As we travel many backroads areas, to many older locals, we’re Amerikaners who arrived from thousands of km distant,
acting differently and speaking a tongue of Babel.
How about a quick History lesson with respect to language. In the U.S., different states often have different “accents”
but we all speak English. For centuries the countries of Europe spoke different languages. And often they spoke
yet more different languages within their own countries.
The oft intermarried European Royalty often spoke different a different language in the Royal family and Royal
Court than their commoner subjects spoke. We learn that in the mid 1800’s, Queen Victoria of England married Prince
Albert of Saxe-Coburg, a German Prince, and Deutsch became the preferred language of their Royal family. This lasted
until the beginning of World War I, at which time their son, George V, King of England issued the
proclamation that only English would be spoken in the Royal family and Royal Court.
It the last half of the 20th century, (since WWII) Western European business leaders greatly envied the power of
the United States in the business world, especially the fact that all 50 of our United States speak the same language
…English …and easily conducted business across state lines with the greatest of ease. To better compete in business
with the U.S and on a greater worldwide scale, many western European countries agreed to adopt English as the “common
language of business” in Europe. For the past 30 years, English has been a “required language” to all the students
beginning in early primary grades.
For that reason, North Americans traveling the back roads of some European countries will find the great excitement
of communicating with those younger locals easier than ever these days.
By now, most of you have read that my wife and I have traveled to Europe for years without making advanced room
reservations. We prefer zimmers, chambres, rooms, small pensions, etc. This can have it's tense moments, especially
when it's getting very late in the day and you can find no room available. You then draw on all your life experiences
and begin to
THINK!
First, please understand the people that run these
zimmers, etc. are all very nice from our experience. When there is a language difference, it often makes both sides
a little uncomfortable. As you go from one occupied zimmer or pension to another, you ask “Zimmer Frei?” (room vacant?) and you hear
“besetzt” (Occupied),
and that one word is it. Door closed.
From my Grandmother’s teachings, I recognized these wonderful people will answer only the questions you ask them.
If you do not ask the right questions, you may not get the answers you are seeking. Here's the secret to our success
(and why we haven’t had to sleep in the car...yet).
When you ask a zimmer owner for a room, and they
reply "no vacancy"
in their respective language, use their local customs method of questioning, and the conversation will go like
this:
You... “Do you have a room available?”
They... “No, we have no room tonight.”
DON’T stop the conversation here.
You... “Do you have a friend who might have a room available?”
They... “Yes.”
DON’T stop the conversation here either.
You... “Will you please call them for me to see if they have a room we can rent?”
They... “YES” and they happily pick
up a phone and call, and sometimes they may call more than one friend... and they happily find you a room for the
night.
You have now found a room that 98% of the other U.S. tourists would have missed.
Simple? Sure it is simple, provided you understand how to do it. You have just succeeded in using the “world traveler
method of communicating.”
One story that some of you may have read 4 years ago was our first trip driving through the Mosel Valley. It’s
a quick picture of how back roads travel leads to experiences too many miss by limiting themselves to touristy
areas, tour groups, or “too fast travel” with no time to stop and smell the...grapes.
For the whole story and pictures, click - Gastehaus Eberhard
And I felt a special tug at my heart as Frau Eberhard so much reminded me of my Grandmother whose teachings I still
carry in my heart and mind as Suzie and I continue to drive the backroads of Germany and her neighboring countries.
A quick note here… during Suzie and my travels to Europe the past couple of years, we’ve met many of you who love
to visit www.bensbauernhof.com.
A number of you have commented on Bill’s Backroads column suggestions, references to places to stay, etc. Two favors,
if you would. Please tell all your friends that www.bensbauernhof.com is the new website address (I still find those who have not heard of the
new web address and really miss the new additions). Second, please let me know if there’s a particular subject
matter you would like covered in Bill’s Backroads… and I’m open to constructive criticism if you disagree with
any of my writings!
Just remember: There are as many different ways to travel as there are smiles on people’s faces. The world is a
mirror of your face, so smile brother and sister, smile! And if you haven’t experienced the grand excitement of
traveling into the fun unknown world of your dreams, now’s the time to follow your dreams. After all, it only costs
a nickel more to go first class!
Thanks to all of you for reading this column.
Here’s hoping you find a great get-away trip to your favorite destination, wherever it may be.
Happy Travels
