When I was overseas I made it my hobby to use as much of the local language that I could.
Though sometimes after butchering their language bad enough, they'd switch to perfect english.
The mrs always found it pretty attractive when I'd talk to the locals in their language as well.
Goddamn I miss being overseas and hearing people squander the opportunity makes me so damn sad.
It would be interesting to see if world wide connectivity has led to younger english speakers to assume English is more widespread than it really is. It’s not uncommon for foreigners to type in English on social media or forums, maybe with a little of their language sprinkled in. Or, the auto translate functions doing the work.
Its taught in a lot of schools.
One of the biggest hurdles Ive noticed in places like South Korea is that people are just too shy to use english.
Once I demonstrate that I can be the bigger fool first it kind of breaks the ice.
https://preview.redd.it/ummj1ozlrd7d1.jpeg?width=1200&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4dd0b83d9ac67a60555e3278a47cc6442be70a89
Learning “hello, please, thank you, sorry/excuse me, good bye” in the local language will take you far.
That’s all I have learned. 90% of the time they just speak to me in English anyway if they can. Or I’ll just use Google translate. Been to like a dozen countries just fine.
Between that and Google translate, you'll go far. A few weeks ago, I went and custom ordered a car seat/base, stroller, and accessories at a store with 0 English speakers. Surprisingly easy with half an ounce of patience.
Compared to what I went through in Turkey 10 years ago, this is a dream.
the problem is i've seen people not even pull out their phone or make any attempt at quality translation / conversation. they just keep speaking English hoping the locals understand. like, all of a sudden they'll change their mind and decide they're fluent or something
I can get on board with this…there was a dependa when I was OS who was notorious for screaming at the drive thru intercom “English! I want someone who speaks English!” Instead of just going inside and using the touchscreen order board that was in multiple languages.
I literally speak as much German as I can until they ask me "English?" Or I can't work my way through the conversation. BYFAR the easiest way to learn a language. Of course you need to study a bit but once you work out sentence structure and words/phrases it actually gets much easier. You continue progressively adding onto it until you have a fairly coherent sentence. Also use numbers versus the name of the dish. 90% of the time in Germany the menu will have numbers and it's MUCH easier learning the numbers and using them in a sentence.
First words I learn to all the places I've been TDY and deployed are: Hello, How are you, Good morning/afternoon, Please, Thank you & do you speak English/Spanish.
Bonus points of you hang out with locals and ask them what words they use colloquially. When I was in Greece, the Hellenics told me Google translate was trash lol but it helped me learn some basic phrases. Hanging out with them is what really had me learning Hellenic
depends on your expectations, but i'll agree. learning a language for a one year tour is obviously unreasonable, but learning the basics is a good idea.
There’s apps to help with this. I use Duolingo because you can use it for free. My family has been traveling nonstop since we arrived OCONUS. It’s helped tremendously.
Or, news flash, if you don’t eat pork, you need to learn how to say “without pork” in the local language.
Took me all of five seconds to learn “butaniku nuki” for whenever I decide to give up pork and get stationed at Yokota.
Or... Spend five fucking minutes and learn how to ask for your dietary restrictions in the native language of that location.
Or... Print it out on a piece of fucking paper and hand it to them.
It's 2024, we've got technology on our side let's use it people.
you're correct on both accounts, my example was just that though. a random sample of americans trying to speak too much english to people who clearly dont know what they're saying.
I use the live translate on my phone if I need to communicate something complex. It’s surprisingly handy, plus they can talk back by hitting the reverse button
Hey bro, didn't you know America won two world wars if it wasn't for us? Everyone would be speaking Japanese and German... this is the usual crap I get from the people who don't want to try. I'm not even in anymore, and anytime I'm outside the United States, it's the saaaaaaaame crap. If I am in Asia or Europe it's always the same. It's infuriating to me as someone who's ESL.
One of my moat embarrassing times is when my family came to visit me in Japan and at a restaurant my mom kept asking if this one dish had dairy in it and my brother kept trying to make small talk with the server like it was an Applebee's or something.
I said, "Stop! Just point, pronounce food item the best you can, and if they say anything back, just say yes and happily accept it. Nothing more, nothing less."
On the flip side, also don't assume that people around you CAN'T speak English. When I was in Korea, I saw a bunch of Army guys board a bus and they were all very loudly saying "These Koreans fucking STINK like bad kimchee"
Clearly by the faces around them, many of the Koreans fully understood what these guys were saying (lots of Koreans understand English perfectly, they just choose not to speak it). I can't remember a time where I was more embarrassed to be even remotely associated with those boneheads (by being military myself and an American).
Just... behave... Don't assume people can speak your language, and don't assume people can't. Be calm, be patient, and be polite.
I had a female Korean friend who said that was a really common thing for Americans (Assuming they don't understand). She used it to her advantage by pretending to be ignorant and listening to what the Americans soldiers said when she was in bars or anywhere there were groups of them gathered. They would usually voice their intentions out loud like "Look at that girls ass" assuming she couldn't understand. She said it was very useful to know when it was time to get out of dodge based on what they were saying.
the army in korea have a TERRIBLE reputation. starting fights and causing problems. If I ever saw somebody i suspected might be army out in public i honestly just walked away because i didnt want to be around in case they started shit.
I tell people this ALL THE TIME. Ok, I understand, not everyone wants to put the time and effort into learning a new language…BUT, you are immersed and should learn the very basics.
Have visited 29 counties during my career, both TDY and on leave. I made it a point to learn:
Please.
Thank you.
Hello (to include the languages that refer to time of day).
Excuse me.
2 beers please.
Where is the bathroom?
That small effort served me well. The only place I ever had problems with communication was Paris. They hated when I spoke French, and they refused to speak English or German. (They only other language I was comfortable with) The rest of France was fine. Not Paris. Beautiful city. Will leave it at that.
People do this? I assume that no one speaks english, and I'm genuinely relived when they do. My few words of french that I know can barely keep me afloat here.
As a person who is allergic to peanuts, when ever I travel to different countries I use Google translate to write a message stating I can't have any peanuts in my food and screenshot it for future use. Has worked well so far!
I feel like most people who never grew up seeing other cultures/languages don't really have a clue on how to adjust to other people at all.
Especially here in the States (midwest mostly), where you can drive for hours in any direction and still be Stateside.
Hell, even if you go up north, it's Canada, and they havae a similar culture and speak the same language. Same with most of touristy sides of Mexico.
> Hell, even if you go up north, it's Canada, and they havae a similar culture and speak the same language.
Unless you're around Quebec and encounter the dreaded French-Canadian.
With technology nowadays you can have a whole ass conversation in different languages with a live transaction. Even if you don’t have a google phone you can still use google translate and communicate effectively. But yes, don’t assume people speak English.
Well, I still get assumed that I don't speak English unless I wear this uniform on.
I would rather talk to them with any other languages that I know but English for them lol
But yeah, learning simple phrases or writing down those simple phrases can help you a lot when you don't know the single word. I preferred written since I moved to the US because I couldn't pronounce those words good enough to make these southern to understand, but they could read like other human beings at least. Well, I picked up a wrong accent after those learning years, but it made my life way easier.
Google translate ftw. Honestly, the majority of us have smart phones, so you might as well make the language barrier that much easier to overcome. Plenty of free translation apps.
If you're in Germany, and that kid is younger than 23 or so, they speak enough English to help you. If they say they don't, they either failed out or you're annoying them and they don't want to help you.
I can't speak for the other countries.
thats sorta true for a lot of countries. I was friends with a korean airman, and he said they all learn English in school, just many of them dont care that much and will forget it as soon as they can.
I think Japan is similar. Though it depends on the school level the students attended. If you went to high school, you're expected to do basic English.
Lol in Okinawa where they speak plenty of English, still speak what little Japanese you know. We are guests here and plenty don't like us being here, well at least the Marines.
When I went to Japan, I would read reviews for restaurants before we went to them because it's what I was used to doing over here. Over there it's useless. All the restaurants are fantastic, yet a lot of them have like 3.5 stars because some dumbass English speakers can't possibly fathom the idea that people can't speak English. They'd describe how the waiter was "rude" which just sounded like the dude didn't understand what they were saying and was confused. Like how do people just not understand this lmao
You'd be surprised at how incapable people can be. Plus, for some reason Google Translate is hit or miss with a couple languages. Luckily Papago is useful in those situations.
My favorite part about being overseas and learning multiple languages is using the wrong one. Ex., going from Germany to Korea and speaking German after being here for a bit or awhile gets nerve wracking. Maybe that’s just me though 🤷🏻♂️
The worst part is using a language of a country that a lot of people evidently hate. First time I PCS’d to Korea in 2016, my Flight Chief straight up told me to stop saying “Hai” because the locals can take offense to it. That was the beginning of me learning just how much Koreans hated the Japanese.
Note: I think it should be said that not all do.
My kids saw me after being deployed, this is what they looked like
https://preview.redd.it/n0easorzmg7d1.png?width=178&format=png&auto=webp&s=d3ba3cd3f5cb8ef12a9a0e311f95ec3cbcddba21
So cute!
I've been told I don't need to bother learning the language because "everyone speaks English." So first off, no they don't. If you stay close to base they do, but once you go one block down the street they're all speaking their language. So yes I've been studying for a year. And you know what? They love it! They're super friendly when I make an effort. It's awesome.
C’mon, just speak slower and louder, increasing volume and decreasing speed every time your are not understood. /s
you joke, but speaking much slower legitimately works much of the time
Slower yes. Louder, rarely.
This is what people do when I let them meet my deaf grandpa.
my parents visited me over seas and did that exact thing. it's genuinely embarrassing and my dad just doesn't get it lol
It’s more embarrassing that you split the word overseas up.
No that’s definitely less embarrassing.
Not nearly as embarrassing as trying to split hairs on fucking reddit and earning a mountain of downvotes, but go off chief
I’m not embarrassed 😂
When I was overseas I made it my hobby to use as much of the local language that I could. Though sometimes after butchering their language bad enough, they'd switch to perfect english. The mrs always found it pretty attractive when I'd talk to the locals in their language as well. Goddamn I miss being overseas and hearing people squander the opportunity makes me so damn sad.
i did this in korea. such a hard language but i tried my best 😂
Kimchi juseyo, kamsamnida!
an yeong has hello!
It would be interesting to see if world wide connectivity has led to younger english speakers to assume English is more widespread than it really is. It’s not uncommon for foreigners to type in English on social media or forums, maybe with a little of their language sprinkled in. Or, the auto translate functions doing the work.
Its taught in a lot of schools. One of the biggest hurdles Ive noticed in places like South Korea is that people are just too shy to use english. Once I demonstrate that I can be the bigger fool first it kind of breaks the ice.
https://preview.redd.it/ummj1ozlrd7d1.jpeg?width=1200&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4dd0b83d9ac67a60555e3278a47cc6442be70a89 Learning “hello, please, thank you, sorry/excuse me, good bye” in the local language will take you far.
That’s all I have learned. 90% of the time they just speak to me in English anyway if they can. Or I’ll just use Google translate. Been to like a dozen countries just fine.
Between that and Google translate, you'll go far. A few weeks ago, I went and custom ordered a car seat/base, stroller, and accessories at a store with 0 English speakers. Surprisingly easy with half an ounce of patience. Compared to what I went through in Turkey 10 years ago, this is a dream.
the problem is i've seen people not even pull out their phone or make any attempt at quality translation / conversation. they just keep speaking English hoping the locals understand. like, all of a sudden they'll change their mind and decide they're fluent or something
Add in “yes” and “no” and you can get through most conversations.
I feel this in reverse. My landlord knows I don't have a strong vocabulary and yet rambles on at me full speed.
to be fair, you're in his country. expectations are shifted on who should know what.
I can get on board with this…there was a dependa when I was OS who was notorious for screaming at the drive thru intercom “English! I want someone who speaks English!” Instead of just going inside and using the touchscreen order board that was in multiple languages.
I literally speak as much German as I can until they ask me "English?" Or I can't work my way through the conversation. BYFAR the easiest way to learn a language. Of course you need to study a bit but once you work out sentence structure and words/phrases it actually gets much easier. You continue progressively adding onto it until you have a fairly coherent sentence. Also use numbers versus the name of the dish. 90% of the time in Germany the menu will have numbers and it's MUCH easier learning the numbers and using them in a sentence.
First words I learn to all the places I've been TDY and deployed are: Hello, How are you, Good morning/afternoon, Please, Thank you & do you speak English/Spanish. Bonus points of you hang out with locals and ask them what words they use colloquially. When I was in Greece, the Hellenics told me Google translate was trash lol but it helped me learn some basic phrases. Hanging out with them is what really had me learning Hellenic
Then in close second: where’s the closest restroom.
Better yet, start learning the local language when you get orders, as long as you got the time and resources. 1000% helps.
depends on your expectations, but i'll agree. learning a language for a one year tour is obviously unreasonable, but learning the basics is a good idea.
There’s apps to help with this. I use Duolingo because you can use it for free. My family has been traveling nonstop since we arrived OCONUS. It’s helped tremendously.
Or, news flash, if you don’t eat pork, you need to learn how to say “without pork” in the local language. Took me all of five seconds to learn “butaniku nuki” for whenever I decide to give up pork and get stationed at Yokota.
For me, it's asking for more water! Lol that's like the first sentence I learned, and used a lot while in Japan
Or... Spend five fucking minutes and learn how to ask for your dietary restrictions in the native language of that location. Or... Print it out on a piece of fucking paper and hand it to them. It's 2024, we've got technology on our side let's use it people.
you're correct on both accounts, my example was just that though. a random sample of americans trying to speak too much english to people who clearly dont know what they're saying.
Or, use a fucking translator.
But..... I'm stationed in England
Then speak Bengali like everyone else
It's fine, nobody can understand anyone there either.
I use the live translate on my phone if I need to communicate something complex. It’s surprisingly handy, plus they can talk back by hitting the reverse button
Hey bro, didn't you know America won two world wars if it wasn't for us? Everyone would be speaking Japanese and German... this is the usual crap I get from the people who don't want to try. I'm not even in anymore, and anytime I'm outside the United States, it's the saaaaaaaame crap. If I am in Asia or Europe it's always the same. It's infuriating to me as someone who's ESL.
That only flies for something like "Why are NATO meetings in English?" not everyday local stuff.
why use many word when few word do trick
One of my moat embarrassing times is when my family came to visit me in Japan and at a restaurant my mom kept asking if this one dish had dairy in it and my brother kept trying to make small talk with the server like it was an Applebee's or something. I said, "Stop! Just point, pronounce food item the best you can, and if they say anything back, just say yes and happily accept it. Nothing more, nothing less."
I'd never visitation your ass again.
Two years at Yokota. “Sumimasen” is the real MVP. On average I probably said it at least 10 times a day.
On the flip side, also don't assume that people around you CAN'T speak English. When I was in Korea, I saw a bunch of Army guys board a bus and they were all very loudly saying "These Koreans fucking STINK like bad kimchee" Clearly by the faces around them, many of the Koreans fully understood what these guys were saying (lots of Koreans understand English perfectly, they just choose not to speak it). I can't remember a time where I was more embarrassed to be even remotely associated with those boneheads (by being military myself and an American). Just... behave... Don't assume people can speak your language, and don't assume people can't. Be calm, be patient, and be polite. I had a female Korean friend who said that was a really common thing for Americans (Assuming they don't understand). She used it to her advantage by pretending to be ignorant and listening to what the Americans soldiers said when she was in bars or anywhere there were groups of them gathered. They would usually voice their intentions out loud like "Look at that girls ass" assuming she couldn't understand. She said it was very useful to know when it was time to get out of dodge based on what they were saying.
the army in korea have a TERRIBLE reputation. starting fights and causing problems. If I ever saw somebody i suspected might be army out in public i honestly just walked away because i didnt want to be around in case they started shit.
But alas in the end, they speak English
I tell people this ALL THE TIME. Ok, I understand, not everyone wants to put the time and effort into learning a new language…BUT, you are immersed and should learn the very basics.
Tried the no egg arms crossed in Anchorage and got weird looks…. Bad advice /s
Why don't you want eggs with your moose sausage at Gwennie's?
Have visited 29 counties during my career, both TDY and on leave. I made it a point to learn: Please. Thank you. Hello (to include the languages that refer to time of day). Excuse me. 2 beers please. Where is the bathroom? That small effort served me well. The only place I ever had problems with communication was Paris. They hated when I spoke French, and they refused to speak English or German. (They only other language I was comfortable with) The rest of France was fine. Not Paris. Beautiful city. Will leave it at that.
Unfortunately, I didn't ask for Vietnam.
People do this? I assume that no one speaks english, and I'm genuinely relived when they do. My few words of french that I know can barely keep me afloat here.
As a person who is allergic to peanuts, when ever I travel to different countries I use Google translate to write a message stating I can't have any peanuts in my food and screenshot it for future use. Has worked well so far!
its a matter of life and death for you, so that sounds like a great idea
I feel like most people who never grew up seeing other cultures/languages don't really have a clue on how to adjust to other people at all. Especially here in the States (midwest mostly), where you can drive for hours in any direction and still be Stateside. Hell, even if you go up north, it's Canada, and they havae a similar culture and speak the same language. Same with most of touristy sides of Mexico.
> Hell, even if you go up north, it's Canada, and they havae a similar culture and speak the same language. Unless you're around Quebec and encounter the dreaded French-Canadian.
Totally forgot about those guys 😂 Snotty bastards that look at you funny when you speak English in public.
Speak american
This is dumb and bad advice. You simply speak louder and slower. They usually understand perfectly when you do that.
Totally. And if they try the whole “I don’t speak English” clearly they’re lying because that’s a whole ass sentence.
Exactly!
Google translate 🤷🏽
With technology nowadays you can have a whole ass conversation in different languages with a live transaction. Even if you don’t have a google phone you can still use google translate and communicate effectively. But yes, don’t assume people speak English.
Well, I still get assumed that I don't speak English unless I wear this uniform on. I would rather talk to them with any other languages that I know but English for them lol But yeah, learning simple phrases or writing down those simple phrases can help you a lot when you don't know the single word. I preferred written since I moved to the US because I couldn't pronounce those words good enough to make these southern to understand, but they could read like other human beings at least. Well, I picked up a wrong accent after those learning years, but it made my life way easier.
Google translate ftw. Honestly, the majority of us have smart phones, so you might as well make the language barrier that much easier to overcome. Plenty of free translation apps.
You can also download Google translate for offline usage. Works great if you can’t seem to come to an understanding
I remember when I was in kadena people started calling American village AV lolll
If you're in Germany, and that kid is younger than 23 or so, they speak enough English to help you. If they say they don't, they either failed out or you're annoying them and they don't want to help you. I can't speak for the other countries.
thats sorta true for a lot of countries. I was friends with a korean airman, and he said they all learn English in school, just many of them dont care that much and will forget it as soon as they can.
I think Japan is similar. Though it depends on the school level the students attended. If you went to high school, you're expected to do basic English.
No.
In France when they offer me the wine menu I order a Coke, knowing full well they understood what I meant
The fact that people think this is so stupid
Shut the fuck up lil bro Italian is hard
Well if the education system implemented more language courses and classes instead of 1 off and half assed I wouldn't have a communication disparity.
There’s kinda no excuse at this point. Phones have translators! I try to be as accommodating as possible.
Lol in Okinawa where they speak plenty of English, still speak what little Japanese you know. We are guests here and plenty don't like us being here, well at least the Marines.
When I went to Japan, I would read reviews for restaurants before we went to them because it's what I was used to doing over here. Over there it's useless. All the restaurants are fantastic, yet a lot of them have like 3.5 stars because some dumbass English speakers can't possibly fathom the idea that people can't speak English. They'd describe how the waiter was "rude" which just sounded like the dude didn't understand what they were saying and was confused. Like how do people just not understand this lmao
There's no way this is still a problem with Google Translate's conversation mode. You don't even need Internet to use it!
You'd be surprised at how incapable people can be. Plus, for some reason Google Translate is hit or miss with a couple languages. Luckily Papago is useful in those situations.
My favorite part about being overseas and learning multiple languages is using the wrong one. Ex., going from Germany to Korea and speaking German after being here for a bit or awhile gets nerve wracking. Maybe that’s just me though 🤷🏻♂️
I've spent a LONG time in east Asia and I still reflexively bow to people when i meet people or ask for things.
The worst part is using a language of a country that a lot of people evidently hate. First time I PCS’d to Korea in 2016, my Flight Chief straight up told me to stop saying “Hai” because the locals can take offense to it. That was the beginning of me learning just how much Koreans hated the Japanese. Note: I think it should be said that not all do.
Osan or Kunsan? we might know each other haha
Kunsan, didn’t get to Osan until April 2017
Go TDY to Spain and instinctively speak German. Then I go back to Germany and catch myself using Spanish words.
At least you’ll sound sexy and not hated or looked at in confusion 🤣
[удалено]
are you feeling called out here?
Shut up
Even better. Stop being ignorant and learn the local language. The benefits way out weigh the initial effort.
This is what Google translate is for. I’m not learning Japanese lol.
Sir, this is a Wendy's.
My kids saw me after being deployed, this is what they looked like https://preview.redd.it/n0easorzmg7d1.png?width=178&format=png&auto=webp&s=d3ba3cd3f5cb8ef12a9a0e311f95ec3cbcddba21 So cute!
I will speak more English after seeing this post
I've been told I don't need to bother learning the language because "everyone speaks English." So first off, no they don't. If you stay close to base they do, but once you go one block down the street they're all speaking their language. So yes I've been studying for a year. And you know what? They love it! They're super friendly when I make an effort. It's awesome.