Planning a trip to China has been a dream of mine for years and slowly, but steadily, things are starting to sound better and better. One of the main problems when visiting a country where it’s not possible to use English everywhere is dealing with the native language. And when the native language is as hard as Chinese, you really need to get accounted with plenty of ways to learn a language .
When I started learning languages such as French or Italian, the music, movies, TV shows and magazines has become my daily friends. And with the help of Internet, I also got a lot of real friends to talk to and write to.
Visiting the country is definitely one of the best ways to learn the language. When you deal with languages that are very different from your native tongue or other languages you speak, it’s going to be more challenging. But phrase books and , lately, mobile applications should be your friends. And, if your budget allows for it, take a language class in the country you are visiting.
Known some of the important phrases in Chinese means that dealing with awkward travel situations gets a lot easier. If you find yourself quite lonely and you cannot find anyone who speaks English, then known at least basic phrases will remind you why you are traveling and how lovely it is to experience a new culture.
Of all the traveling I’ve done so far , I either was able to use English everywhere (even in the market in Vienna, Austria) or I spoke the native language. When we went to Budapest, I relied on my partner who speaks the language and on my basic knowledge of Hungarian to get me by when needed. But as I plan travels further from my home base, I am certainly eager to learn at least some basic phrases in as many languages I can.
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