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> Sometimes I got corrections, sometimes I had to repeat myself, sometimes I would get an answer back in English, whatever! No one ever shamed me and my skills
by ch4s3 5y ago
> Sometimes I got corrections, sometimes I had to repeat myself, sometimes I would get an answer back in English, whatever! No one ever shamed me and my skills continued to improve.
Whenever I'm traveling abroad I always make an attempt to learn a few hundred words, some phrases, and how to sting together simple sentences. With very few exceptions, the attempt is usually greeted with amusement and a polite response. People were down right thrilled in Hungary, and the Portuguese are in my experience quite happy to suffer through you attempt.
- ngokevin 5y agoInterestingly in Hong Kong, they will go to hell and back to divert the conversation to English if they see you aren't a native speaker. You literally have to say "I can't speak English" if you want to keep it in Cantonese.
- diskzero 5y agoYeah, sometimes that will happen in countries where people have strong English language skills. I'll respect their wish to speak in the language they want to communicate in.
- ch4s3 5y agoYeah Holland is like that.
- JCharante 5y agoIt also happens in places where people want to practice their English. In Vietnam I once told my taxi driver that I can't speak English, but then ended up having to have a conversation with him in Vietnamese. (I told him I didn't speak English because I wasn't feeling up for a conversation, but then tricked myself into one)
- c_o_n_v_e_x 5y agoSame experience in Singapore when practicing speaking Malaysian... steer back to English, although I get the occasional person who's genuinely amused with my attempts.