communicating in a foreign country

Moving to (or even just visiting) a foreign country can be a scary thing in itself.  Add in the fact that the natives do not speak the same language as you do (or, at least, not as a first language) and it can be downright scary (and frustrating!).  I can honestly say that the language barrier is the #1 thing that poses the greatest difficulty and inconvenience for the hubs and I. 



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I recieved a message the other day from a fellow American woman who is moving to Finland.  She was looking for tips on communicating and how to best deal with the language barrier.  Although we are not currently in Finland so language issues are not in the forefront of our minds with it being the off-season, I wanted to share with you all the pointers that I came up with, in hopes that it will help others, as well.  Summer is also tourist season, so many of you may be able to put these to use on your upcoming vacation. 

These tips will work for any country, though some of them incorporate Finnish culture and the stereotype of Finns tending to be very friendly, but extremely quiet and reserved (sometimes true, sometimes not).  Even if English isn't your first language either, it still may help you when traveling (or moving) to a country that speaks a language that is foreign to you.  You'll most likely be using English as your 'common language' to communicate with the natives, after all! :)

-It probably depends most on where in [insert country] you will be.  If you're in a large city, you'll most likely be just fine.  If you're further into the countryside... people may not speak English as well, or at least won't be as comfortable speaking it.  The bigger the city, the more common English is, at least from my experience.  That doesn't mean they don't know English- they all start learning it in school at a very young age- but (Finns, at least) are very shy to begin with, and even more-so when speaking a language that is foreign to them.  The key is to be patient.

-I try and make anyone who I am speaking to feel very comfortable, and they seem to be more willing to open up and speak.  They're afraid they will say something wrong or sound funny.  I usually joke with friends or acquaintences how their English sounds wayyy better than my Finnish (it's true, after all!).  If it's someone I talk to often, I also let them know how cool I think it is that they speak multiple languages.  That's more than I can say of myself!  They seem to be more confident when they are praised for their speaking :)

-Obviously going to stores or anywhere in public is a little intimidating.  We still feel that way.  My husband and I joke about how rich we'd be if we had a nickel for every time we said the phrase "Sorry, I only speak English..."  It will never be "normal" for me, but you do get used to it.  I've found that the best way to avoid some of the awkwardness of it is to make sure that when they greet you (such as a cashier at the grocery store) make sure to say a big, loud "Hello".  Saying "hi"  or "hey" can sound too much like their Finnish greeting, "hei" (pronounced "hey") so they don't catch on as easily, or if you greet them in Finnish ("moi", "hei", etc.) they will assume you speak Finnish.  About 75% of the time I say Hello, they realize that I speak English and start speaking English off the bat from there.  (note: it may be cool and exciting to use your newly acquired langauge skills, but if you're in a hurry, it only adds another step to the process.  Save the showing off for the end and say "thank you" in their language, instead :) ).

-Another thing we found was the awkwardness of making phone calls.  Anytime I called anywhere (to make a hair appointment, for example) I was never sure if I should just start speaking English, or if I should ask them if they speak English first.  I usually went with the latter, and when I mentioned my concern to my Finnish friends, they agreed.  They made a good point- it gives them a chance to "turn their brain on" to speaking English.  If they're not ready for it, they most likely won't understand you the first time you say it.  That way they're prepared and can gather their thoughts first, or pass the phone off to someone who does speak English.

I'd have to say the language barrier is my least favorite part of living in a different country, but it isn't horrible.  The worst part is probably just not being able to get a full answer- like if you're at the store and want to know about a product.  They'll tell you the basics, but probably won't get the big long speech of information you'd get from someone in your home country. The important part is just getting them to open up- once they feel comfortable, they speak English just fine!