Answer to the question no: 03

Speak Slowly
You might think this is so ridiculously obvious that it doesn’t need saying.
But if that’s the case, why don’t more people do it?
I've lost count of the times, when, after a few slow greetings, the person
I'm speaking to hits the fast forward button. And it doesn’t seem to matter
how many times I implore “Can you speak more slowly please.” As soon
as the conversation hots up, the snail-paced speak stops.
Don’t shout
I’m. Not. Deaf. Uttering the same incomprehensible words but louder is
not going to make me any more likely to understand. It’ll just make you
look stupid and make me feel more incompetent than I already do.
Don’t repeat the same word over and over
Don’t patronise
I may have the foreign language skills of a two-year old, but I’m a grown-
up woman and, in most other contexts, I’m a reasonably intelligent one.
So, while I do need you to explain how I can get to the toilet, I’m unlikely
to need any tips on how to use it or the fact that I need to close the door
behind me. But, hey, thanks anyway.
Use simple words
It's no use trying to impress me with your expansive vocabulary. I have
the foreign language skills of a pre-schooler. Simple words only, please.
Use even simpler sentences
Sometimes 50 words roll out of your mouth instead of just the five that
are needed, So when you’re communicating with someone who doesn’t
speak your language, sharpen up your sentences.
Accept cave speak
Yes, I know that when I throw a bunch of foreign words together I sound
like a cavewoman. However, in the early stages of learning a language, I
have too much going on in my brain to concentrate on being graceful. I’m
going to mash the basic words together and it won’t sound pretty.
The point is: Can you understand me? Do you know that I want tacos with
chicken? If you get it, great. I’ve achieved my goal. When I reach an
intermediate level of speaking, I promise I’ll aim for grace, but until then,
cavewoman speak will have to do.
Use one word and try to stick with it
As a new language learner, I don’t care that there are more than a dozen
ways to say something. In the beginning, I just need to know one word
that will work the best in most situations.
Don’t criticise slow learning skills
I wish I had a peso for every time someone called me out on my lack of
language skills. Yes, even after months travelling through Latin America,
I'm not exactly fluent. I will get there. It just takes me more time.
Don’t answer in English
If there is one thing that annoys me more than anything else, it's when I
strike up a conversation, or try to order something in a foreign language,
and the person responds in English. Yes, I’m highly impressed you speak
my language better than I speak yours, but I will not improve unless I
practice.
Use subtle mime but don’t turn it into a game of charades
Illustrative reinforcement can be very helpful when learning a language.
Pointing to the flavour of ice-cream as you say it’s quirky name, or
indicating directions with complimentary hand gestures, are both helpful.
However, let’s not get ridiculous. Miming actions can turn a simple
conversation into a one-sided game of charades – without the excitement
or humour. Plus I’ll be so distracted watching the small, impromptu
theatrical performance that I’ll forget to listen to what’s being said.
Write it down
I find it much easier to understand something when I read it compared to
when I hear it. Even in English, I like to see new words spelt out in my
mind’s-eye before I truly get a grasp.
Writing a foreign word down helps remove any of the pronunciation
problems if you’re speaking to me in a fast or heavily accented way. It
makes it easier for me to look the word up in a dictionary and, sometimes,
even guess at its meaning. Plus, it's much more likely that I will remember
the word – especially if you write it on a piece of paper.
There’s an app for that – use it
I have a scrappy old English-Spanish dictionary that I cart around with
me, but on my last trip, I’ve started to use more language apps for
speaking and learning. Translation apps, in particular, are very helpful and
I have a bunch of them on my phone. If we’re having difficulty
communicating, let’s not struggle when a well though-out app can help us
not get lost in translation.
One final though
It’s my mission this year (as it has been each of the past three years) to
learn Spanish to a level of fluency. It may not be pretty, it will definitely
be hard, but I will continue to try. If you find yourself speaking to
somebody who doesn’t speak your language, please try to keep this list in
mind.