There is a joke in some parts of Europe that goes like this:
Bruno: What do you call someone who speaks two languages?
Juan: Bilingual.
Bruno: What do you call someone who speaks three languages?
Jorges: Trilingual.
Bruno: What do you call someone who speaks a lot of languages?
Ingrid: Multilingual.
Bruno: What do you call someone who speaks one language?
Chorus: AMERICAN!!!
OK, so it’s a lame joke, but it is not without more than a hint of truth to it. The question is, now that we are no longer children – when it is very easy to learn another language – how do we learn Spanish, Korean, Italian, German, or (insert your language of choice here)?
Immersion, going to that country and living as a native, is certainly one way – and a very good way – though not necessarily an easy way to live for an extended period of time.
Rosetta Stone©, with which I have no affiliation, presents a popular method of natural learning where you learn the names of things by listening to a phrase while a picture is on the screen, letting your mind make the association in a way similar to the way children learn.
And this article by Felicia Wong provides a number of practical tips to becoming fluent in 6 months, but they also apply when you are traveling through or visiting a country – no matter how long or short the time you are there.
From personal experience in Europe, I always traveled with a translating guide and worked with the local language menus and brochures whenever I could. I was not fluent after my week in Bavaria, let alone the day each in the Czech Republic, Italy, Switzerland and Austria, but I was quickly able to scan a menu and select vegetarian dishes, get directions, and other simple communications, though we often had to revert to English for more detailed information. I did find, though, that they appreciated my efforts to meet them on their ground instead of insisting on using English, and I got more personal attention and better information as a result. I also found that I understood English words, and how the language was built, much better than I did before.
Listen, watch, read, and then you will be able to take your friends and family around on a personal tour of the country you love to visit.
