Luckily, UPS is the same in any language apparently
Short answer: kind of. My recent study abroad in business
school was in two countries, one of which I learned some of the language beforehand
and one of which I entered completely unprepared. Prior to landing in Germany,
I’d spent several weeks using the Duolingo app on my phone. I was able to
recognize a few words and conduct the most simple of conversations as a result
(I didn’t make it very far into the app in only a few weeks!). For Greece, I
wasn’t able to find the language on Duolingo, so I decided to wing it. I couldn’t
understand a word people said to me as a result.
In hindsight, I think the approach I took to Germany was the
best. I didn’t need to know the entire language, but having a few words up my
sleeve gave me the extra confidence I needed in a strange country. You can’t
put a price on being able to say “excuse me” in the official language of
whatever country you happen to be in, and not instantly outing yourself as a tourist. Knowing some of the language is also an easy way to communicate the respect you have for a country and its culture, giving you an advantage both in business and everyday interactions. Equally important, if you can decipher some of the menus, you will never be
hungry! I’d recommend stocking up on words for food, hello, goodbye, excuse me,
please, and thank you. Also, being able to say “I do not speak [language]” will
prevent a lot of misunderstandings. I spent at least five minutes in Greece
trying to communicate that I didn’t speak Greek with a cashier, which could
have been avoided if I’d taken the simple courtesy to learn some of the
language! So on that note, how does one even go about learning some of a
language in preparation for studying or working abroad?
- Duolingo – despite not having Greek as a language option (you can take this as a challenge, folks at Duolingo!), I love the app. I’m a visual learner, so being able to see the words written down as well as spoken through the app was incredibly helpful. The game format makes the app fun and easy to fit into a busy day. Just do a lesson in the 5 minutes before class or between meetings!
- Coffee Break podcasts – perhaps you are not a visual learner and are able to pick up languages just from hearing them spoken. If so, the Coffee Break podcasts are for you! Put them on while you exercise, and fit learning a language into a busy schedule. As I mentioned above, I am a visual learner, but I also used the Coffee Break German podcast to improve my pronunciation and accustom myself to hearing the language spoken.
- Rosetta Stone – a now well established language learning tool! This software comes highly recommended by many people. For business students, I’d recommend asking your study abroad center if they have access or discounts to the software. For business professionals, I’d try asking your manager or HR if they have any of the software available. You might even be able to convince them to purchase it for you, for a language whose country you do business in often!
- Other resources – without going into too much detail, other resources for language learning include multiple apps (just search the language you wish to learn, the no-longer-updated BBC Languages page, Livemocha, and Google (just google a word you wish to learn and the language you wish to learn it in). For those brave, extroverted few, I recommend reaching out to the locals in the country. Showing an open mind and willingness to learn is usually well received, and I saw a fellow student traveler learn a lot of Greek this way.
I’m curious, what are your experiences like with learning a
language? Any entertaining language stories?
Note: none of the links above are affiliate links. I am just
trying to make life a bit easier for any readers!
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