SHEBIRDIE
  • beSTYLISH
    • blog | STYLISH
  • beHEALTHY
    • blog | HEALTHY
  • beEMPOWERED
    • blog | EMPOWERED
  • ESCAPE
    • blog | ESCAPE
  • All the Extras
    • About Us
    • Hello, my name is...
    • Contact Us

Your 10th Grade Foreign Language Skills

2/10/2015

 
Picture
“Une grande cafe, sil vous plait…. Uh, PLUS grande sil vous plait!” 

This was me trying to order a large coffee in Paris last year (fyi – no such thing). 

I cannot tell you how broken and sparse my use of the beautiful French language was on that trip. If I weren’t so caught up in the surreal experience of actually being back there, I would have been mortified! But it got us by. 

It’s a bit ironic because here at home, I knew French speaking people who I could have sat with over the years and honed my skills, but didn’t because I was afraid my pronunciation was no good and I’d just embarrass myself. Amazing what a desperate situation will embolden you to do – and yes, scoring more than a teacup-sized serving of my morning joe qualified as a desperate situation! 

Besides ordering cafes, croissants, and carafes du l’eau, we didn’t have to use much French. But when we did, we noticed a more helpful vibe emerge before us. A simple “merci” goes a long way in Paris. Even just  knowing a few nouns like “le metro”, “la porte de sortie”, and “la toilette” show an effort that the French will appreciate. You can pose these words as questions with just the tone of your voice (not quite correct, but it works in a pinch). I would suppose it works in a similar way with other languages in other foreign countries, though I only have the French experience under my belt for now.

Visiting a foreign country with some language skills in your repertoire will portray a sign of respect and can make all the difference in the experience you have with the locals. So try dusting off that old high school textbook or buy a translation dictionary (that includes phrases) to brush up before your trip. If you’ve never had any experience with foreign language, there are beginner lessons you can download. I recommend Behind the Wheel for the very basics, but skip the counting lessons and jump in at the simple phrases. You don’t need to know much, but it helps to know something.

I'd love to hear your thoughts and experiences. Please share below.

    Mel

    SHEbirdie | ESCAPE is for anyone who's seeking a little adventure and a realistic escape from the daily grind. Believe me, I know what that's like! My dreams of traveling the world seemed far off and impossible, but they are starting to come true. This blog is a way to share my journey with you and possibly join you on yours.

    Categories

    All
    Adventure
    Air Travel
    Budget
    Bugeting
    California
    Daily Grind
    Dreams
    Empowered
    Escape
    First
    Friends
    Language
    London
    Money
    New Start
    Packing
    Paris
    Photos
    Pictures
    Planning
    Solo Travel
    Tech
    Technology
    Travel
    Travel Quote
    Trip
    Wanderlust

    Archives

    June 2019
    August 2015
    June 2015
    February 2015


    RSS Feed

About Us
Contact
SHEbirdie Home
DeLaVie Wellness Home

SHEbirdie - inspiration to be you
​EST. 2014
© Copyright 2022, SHEbirdie Enterprises. All Rights Reserved.
Photos used under Creative Commons from malias, Thomas Leuthard, roger_alcantara, martinak15, gtall1, woodleywonderworks, longlostcousin, Garrett Gill
  • beSTYLISH
    • blog | STYLISH
  • beHEALTHY
    • blog | HEALTHY
  • beEMPOWERED
    • blog | EMPOWERED
  • ESCAPE
    • blog | ESCAPE
  • All the Extras
    • About Us
    • Hello, my name is...
    • Contact Us