What to Do When No One Speaks Your Language

Culture shock is tough enough, but toss in a foreign language and your luxurious vacation just became stressful. When you’re stuck sans English speakers, use these tips to establish common comprehension.

Before you leave home, make a list of commonly used terms and write them in your native language as well as the language spoken in your destination. When you’re stumped for words, take out the list and point to the phrase you need to communicate. This is especially helpful when the language uses strange characters like Russian or Mandarin. Leave a few blank pages in this notebook of key words that you can use to draw it out if that helps you explain yourself.

Download a language app to either help you prepare for your trip or to help you get by once you are there. If you’re interested in learning more than just everyday phrases, Duolingo is a free app that lets you practice a foreign language from the very basics and progress through different levels as you advance. When you are in your destination and it’s too late to start from scratch, use an app called Speak & Translate that uses voice recognition to identify a phrase and then translate it. This can come in handy when you are trying to give directions to a cab driver or explain to a restaurant server you have a food allergy.

Find a tourist office or hotel where it is likely you will find someone who speaks English. Some Internet cafes might also be wise resources as not only the staff but also the patrons may be from English-speaking countries.

It might be difficult to not panic in these situations, but luckily there are many tools to help you feel at home in a foreign land.