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Linguaholic

How long would you last?


rgaz83

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Whatever language you're learning right now, imagine that tomorrow you found yourself kidnapped and dropped on the streets of a country that speaks that language. You can't find anyone that speaks English or any other language you might know. You have no dictionary, only what's in your head right now. For whatever reason, you've got about a week's worth of wages of currency from your new country and the clothes off your back.

How long do you think you'd last before you either died or got arrested? Could you order in a restaurant? Go grocery shopping? Get a job? An apartment?

No buying a bus ticket to another city, that'd be cheating.  :wink:

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That's quite a tough situation. I think I would last for only a week if I were to loiter in the streets. No dictionary is quite cruel though, so yeah, I'd probably be arrested for vagrancy anyway. So maybe less than a week.

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I'm learning Japanese and I still don't know enough to talk beyond buying food or other items, but I think it's enough for me to survive since it's a good enough start and I've also already somewhat got the accent/pronunciations. I probably wouldn't get lost as long as I know the names of the places I'd have to go to and have enough money to pay for transportation, but I will have a very hard time with reading signs because I haven't learned the written part yet at all.

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Realistically, I would most likely last the one week given. But depending on the country that I'm stuck in, being a female may have some of it's perks. Maybe I'd find my true love in the country that I'm working so hard in trying to learn it's language from and could live there for a lifetime!

But again, realistically, only one week.

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If I am going to get kidnapped by someone, why would they drop me in the street? It's kinda contradicting. Anyways, I am going to try to call my relatives and friends by using the remaining currency; Gonna buy some food and water; using gestures to try to communicate with them; and yeah, find a way out to back home.

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I'll be okay... I think. I can (more or less) understand Japanese and I can also speak broken Japanese. So I'll survive. I'll take this as a challenge to adapt into their culture!

And thanks to whoever kidnapped me and paid for my ticket to Japan  :wink:

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I think that this would depend on the level you would have reached. I think that if we had studied the language we would pick up a lot of it being immersed in the country, so our study would prove to been worthy.  :wink:

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Do I get to keep my phone?

Because I have a plan for interacting with foreigners when we don't speak the same language. Back then, I took pictures of a lot of things relevant to tourists. I took pictures of restaurant, toilet, airport, bus, taxi......

So if I got this phone of mine, I will be totally fine :)

Need a taxi? Show them a picture of one!

Need to ask for directions of food/public toilets/transportation? Show them the pictures!

They will most likely get what you are saying, so it's great!

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Do I get to keep my phone?

Because I have a plan for interacting with foreigners when we don't speak the same language. Back then, I took pictures of a lot of things relevant to tourists. I took pictures of restaurant, toilet, airport, bus, taxi......

So if I got this phone of mine, I will be totally fine :)

Need a taxi? Show them a picture of one!

Need to ask for directions of food/public toilets/transportation? Show them the pictures!

They will most likely get what you are saying, so it's great!

This is a great idea! Of course, you'd still have to figure out how to charge your phone, but that could work. Very creative use of a phone.

If I am going to get kidnapped by someone, why would they drop me in the street? It's kinda contradicting. Anyways, I am going to try to call my relatives and friends by using the remaining currency; Gonna buy some food and water; using gestures to try to communicate with them; and yeah, find a way out to back home.

It's not supposed to be entirely realistic! It's a thought exercise/game. Do you know enough to survive or will you get lost just trying to find a restroom? And finding a way home is cheating.  :wink:

As for me, I would probably last somewhere around a week. I know enough to find the basics, but landing a job would be difficult at the level I am now.

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I think being smart and not becoming overwhelmed with what had just happened could keep me for a long time. Since I just started learning the language, I'd use the little I know plus gestures and plenty of smile. I am sure that would have a lot of people rendering me assistance to get to where I want to go and to get other things accomplished.

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Well, these would be some very trying and challenging circumstances!

In a situation like this one is extremely vulnerable and it's important to be able to tap into and to trust your instincts and your intuition.  Again, very difficult.  I must say, I am glad this is just a thought experiment as it is a pretty frightening scenario! 

I would have to really force myself to remain calm and to not panic.  To take things one step at a time.  Befriending people and finding some allies would be a huge step but an important one.  Gestures and facial expressions can go a long way towards breaking down language barriers. 

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I would be totally screwed if it was Japanese. If I would be lucky I might find someone who could help me out, but I would have a problem explaining my situation for sure...

If I was dropped off in England however, it would be easy as pie, since I'm fluent in english and everything.

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This is a great idea! Of course, you'd still have to figure out how to charge your phone, but that could work. Very creative use of a phone.

Oh right...... :shy:

The charging part......

Never thought of that before  :shy:

Well, let's just hope that there's still enough power left on my phone that at least enable me to show pictures of the local mall or phone shop XD

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:amazed:  Who would want to kidnap me,I am just a boring old housewife. I am not certain I could survive for a week. Although I certainly enjoy the time away from my family.

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