language barrier

Years ago My wife and I were on a cruise and she suffered a mild stroke and we were put off the ship in Peru where she went into the hospital. Very few people spoke English and those that did weren't around much. Very Very frustrating. So I made a decision to avoid places that don't speak English. Of course that means certain parts of the USA now.

Wife and I are not totaly fluent in Spanish but we have been going to Mexico since the 80's. Many of the natives understand english and with the help of a English/Spanish dictionary we get along just fine. Do by all means take in Mexico.. You can stay in rv parks where there are many americans who will help you adjust to the local lifestyle. For your first trip you could possibly go with someone who has been there before or go with a caravan. Do some research on places you would like to see and routes to take and then go for it. Just be aware as you would be in the USA.

My husband speaks almost no Spanish and I speak a little. Knowing words like "por favor", "gracias", "buenos dias/tardes/noches" is always nice. If you show an attempt, most Mexicans will work very hard to understand you. Just learn a few basic polite words like these and it will be so much more appreciated and it's not very hard at all.

I certainly wouldn't let a language barrier stop us from visiting any part of the world. Keep a phrase book and dictionary with you and you'll manage fine. Spanish is not difficult to learn and is the most studied language in the world so resources for learning it are widely available. Spanish is now the second most spoken language in the world with mandarin being first and english now third. I learned spanish as an adult with little difficulty and a lot of perseverance. When you travel in Mexico you are in the perfect environment to learn the language. Every sign, every supermarket, Television, news. The first month is a little intimidating but thinks fall into place pretty quick after that. Make it a goal, part of the trip, have fun with it. Great language, great country.

A really excellent voice translate app is called: Voice Translator (for Android phones, etc). I have it installed on my Samsung, along with the Speech Synthesis app. I set it up for several languages. Just choose the language you want to translate to, speak into your phone, then play back the nice translated voice to whoever you want to talk to. They then speak into the phone, and it plays back the translated voice (I tried French, Spanish and Portuguese, and it works flawlessly).

S-

kca87 wrote:
My husband speaks almost no Spanish and I speak a little. Knowing words like "por favor", "gracias", "buenos dias/tardes/noches" is always nice. If you show an attempt, most Mexicans will work very hard to understand you. Just learn a few basic polite words like these and it will be so much more appreciated and it's not very hard at all.

To add to those words: cerveza, taco and bano. You can travel all over mexico with just these few words and a good sense of humor. Numbers are good also, then you can construct a sentence. "Dos cervezas por favor...Gracias!"

wildtoad wrote:
Years ago My wife and I were on a cruise and she suffered a mild stroke and we were put off the ship in Peru where she went into the hospital. Very few people spoke English and those that did weren't around much. Very Very frustrating. So I made a decision to avoid places that don't speak English. Of course that means certain parts of the USA now.

Why would you expect people in Peru to speak English? :h

This isn't Peru or Argentina or Nicaragua. In places a newbie is likely to go having someone close by, bi-lingual is crucial for "negotio" business (ventas) sales, and el saldo de banco (bank balance). I spoke "Ingles" yesterday for the first time in four or five months (I stumbled on verbs).

Be patient and smile. Here in Mexico the idea of a turista sans la idioma is actually expected. I've run into situations where the tourist speaks Spanish and the Mexican responds in English. It is hilarious. Both are practicing.

But the ability to not speak Spanish should not enter your vaguest doubts. I was so uneducated about the languages 50 years ago I had no idea that the word "No" was identical in both languages. I had to ask!

Mexicans are gracious unlike the French with the butchering of their tongue. Even a botched attempt a fledgling flapping of Spanish will be received with a pleased smile. Mexicans see it as a definite sign of respect and that will bridge almost any obstacle.

"Ay me yoy para mi cuñado" doesn't sound like much but it means a person is going to round up his brother-in-law who just returned from the states.

Technical doctor spanish is not easy even for me. I cannot even figure out what my USA doctor wants to say half the time. Don't feel bad. Young ladies are absolutely the worst for attempting to understand "foreign looking folk speaking Spanish"

A young lady kept replying ¿Mande? ¿Mande? (What? What?) to my questions about whether they carried gringo ketchup. Mexicans standing in line rolled their eyes. Finally I said "¿Te hable Español?" (Do you speak Spanish?) to get her attention. She turned beet red, then instantly answered the question. The Mexicans in line, were howling in glee. So don't let it get to you if a young girl acts like you just fell off a flying saucer. Someone will help you, trust me.

When I go places where only Indian idioma is spoken (lots of off the beaten track places) I have to search for an indigena who speaks for instance Tzotzil and Spanish. I do not let it stop me a bit.

Part of the reward you are going to get are the fond memories of folks who will stand on their head to be able to communicate with you!

Thank you all for your very helpful replies. We thought as much, but needed to hear it from seasoned travelers. :W Thanks again...

Bill

We have never found Our Lack of Spanish to be a problem.

As a matter of fact in my opinion the Mexican people speak English better than many of the People that I have met in Canada or the USA!

When We try to speak what little Spanish We do know , we are always treated with courtesy and respect, and always manage to get the right answers to Our requests!