Conversational language for travel

[NATASHA]

Has anyone learned enough of a language to get them by in a foreign country? Just enough to ask for directions, order food and pay for things without having to have learned the entire language?

[gmckee1985]

Yes, I believe so. I've been practicing the basics quite a bit. I want to be able to say the basic things you need to be able to say in order to survive in a foreign country. I also want to be able to have natural conversations with the locals. I want to have a wide vocabulary so I don't have to rely on canned phrases, so to speak.

[Krrizal]

I moved to the United States from the Philippines when I was little. When I moved back, I literally had to "re-learn" my mother tongue! It came back of course, but over time.

[SpringBreeze]

I've done that before. When I moved to Italy I only had the basics. And that got me through the first couple of weeks for shopping, transportation, and restaurant ordering. When I started taking Italian classes there, it became easier. The hardest time I had was when I became sick and had to get medicine. I wasn't prepared for that. And my limited knowledge of Italian vocabulary certainly didn't cover that aspect of life.

[zabina12]

I would say yes.

Even we do not try to learn a lot of common words, it seems not a problem. Because majority on the place can understand and at least speak common English words that makes the conversational easier.

[Baburra]

I have but most of the time I just learn as I go. It's much easier for me to pick up even the basic phrases when I'm already there and I hear it from the people. The only problem is that not every country will have people who are willing to teach you one or two phrases but these days we all already have internet in our phones so it's fairly easy to look it up, fortunately.