Category "language-barrier"

Can I buy pre-paid data plan in France for 4 weeks, without speaking French?

I am going to France (with a car) for just over 3 weeks. Is it possible to buy a pre-paid SIM card with Internet (around 500MB - 1GB), so I can use it with my p

Why is it difficult/how to make it easier for Americans to understand Australian accents?

In previous travels to the US I had slight communication issues with people on the East Coast of US (New York, Chicago) compared to the West Coast of US (LA, SF

Dealing with nodding or shaking of head confusion

I have recently discovered the hard way that nodding of the head for yes, shaking of the head for no is not quite as universal as I had originally thought. Some

Languages spoken in the Netherlands

I'm preparing a trip to Amsterdam. I know that the official language is Dutch but I have read that 90% of population speak English. So, Is it enough to speak En

Transit through Beijing - Languages?

My girlfriend and I are planning a trip to Thailand this winter (from the UK), and the cheapest option appears to be Air China, with a 6-hour layover in Beijing

Dealing with conflicting announcements in multiple languages?

On Friday, while the Eurostar I was on was pulling into Calais Fréthun station, the train manager announced in French that we were arriving into Calais,

"Speaking" Korean without really speaking Korean, as a tourist in South Korea

I'm thinking of visiting South Korea as a tourist, and I'm wondering if some preparations short of a full on study of the language will help. In particular, I'm

Languages in Bulgaria? [closed]

There is a realistic chance that I will be working in Sofia for a year or more soon. I care quite a lot about being able to communicate with l

Which languages to brush up on for Ukraine trip?

I am traveling from the US, and the only language I really know is American English. I will be visiting cities in various districts of Ukraine: Kiev, Chornobyl,

Getting around to transfer in huge airports if you don't know English [duplicate]

How can someone who doesn't know any international language get around in huge airports, if they need to transfer? I'm asking this because my

What's the best way to signal that I'd prefer to be served in English?

I'm traveling in an area where bilingualism - specifically, English - is extremely common. As in, I'm yet to meet someone who doesn't speak pretty good English

How do non-English speakers navigate through international airports (specific question about Amsterdam)

A relative will visit me in Amsterdam. She does not speak English or any other major language, nor has much experience with air travel. How do people in similar

How easy/hard is it to backpack to Taiwan knowing only English?

My main concern would be the language barrier. I'm quite aware through some of my Taiwanese friends in Taiwan, English is not widely spoken. What should I do

When traveling to Japan, which problems can one encounter for not speaking any Japanese when it comes to reaching all major tourist attractions?

I ask this because I need to decide whether to hire a circuit with a guide or not. I prefer to travel by myself, but I'm not sure if it will be too difficult to

Images of Chinese logograms (characters) for traveler

Planing trip to China in some remote areas. I think it would be useful to have some pictures in my phone with most useful words like "eat","bus","hotel" in Chin

Communicating in Tokyo without Japanese

I'm going to Japan soon. (Like my previous question.) And I'm going to Tokyo. I'm not at all good at communicating in Japanese. A beginner, not even able to us

Learning Russian versus Mongolian for visiting Mongolia

I'm planning on visiting Mongolia. I'll probably hire a tour guide for the trip, not only because of the language barrier but also so I'm not travelling solo, a

English in Hong Kong

I might be going to a 3 week camp (it's not really a camp, it's more of an academic program) in Hong Kong. How many people (a lot, a few, only certain occupatio

Owl Cafe in Tokyo where English is spoken?

I'm visiting Tokyo in late September and really want to visit an owl cafe. I've heard that it is best to go with someone who speaks Japanese as they usually giv

Understanding Greek road signs

I will shortly be driving around Greece. I do not know Greek, but I would like to learn the Greek alphabet, so that I can recognise road signs for town/city nam