How to Deal with Language Barriers

One of the things that holds me back as an international traveler is my inability to speak any foreign languages. I know that it’s easy to find English speakers in nearly any country, especially in tourist areas, but it still makes me a bit nervous to travel without being able to communicate effectively with others.

If you travel often, you might not have the time to learn every native language associated with the areas you visit – but here’s how you can feel a little more comfortable with international travel, no matter how fluent you are:

Carry a list of common words with you

It’s great to have a dictionary, but this marks you as a tourist, which could make you a pickpocket target. It’s also pretty ineffective to use language dictionaries, since it takes awhile to look up the words you need to put phrases together. Instead, carry a list of the most common words you may need for quick reference. Include niceties like “please” and “thank you,” places you may need to go like “airport,” and common questions like “how much?” on your list.

Purchase travel insurance

I work for a travel insurance blog, so of course I’m a huge supporter of travel insurance, but even if I didn’t, I’d recommend buying it to help you when you’re in a country where you don’t speak the native language. Should something go wrong, you can call your insurance company and explain the problem to a representative, who can get you to a hospital, find you a new hotel, rebook new plane tickets, or otherwise help you – in English. They may even be able to help you with translation over the phone.

Learn some menu items

One of the scariest things is to sit down at a restaurant while traveling and realize that the menu has no pictures or English translations. If you’re allergic to anything, definitely learn those words, but also learn words such as “chicken,” “steak,” “pork,” “salad,” and “pasta.”

Find a guide

I don’t mean a tour guide for some of the typical tourist-y activities wherever you’re going (unless that’s what you really want to do). Find someone that speaks English who would be willing to spend the day or afternoon with you, showing you the sites from a native’s perspective. Your hotel may be able to provide you with information, but if not, try asking your taxi driver. If you can afford to pay what they would typically earn otherwise, many taxi drivers would absolutely love to spend the entire day driving around a single family, couple, or group rather than constantly finding fares.