|
 |
Speaking with strangers | ||
Share with:
| ||
 Language Learning Forum : General discussion |  | |
| beano Diglot Senior Member United KingdomRegistered users can see my Skype Name Joined 4620 days ago 1049 posts - 2152 votes  Speaks: English*, German Studies: Russian, Serbian, Hungarian | Message 1 of 32 02 September 2013 at 2:06am | IP Logged |
|
Yesterday I was waiting in the checkout queue at Aldi Supermarket when I heard the cashier mention to the
customer ahead of me that she was German (I would never have guessed from her broad North of England accent). So I dived straight in there when my turn came and started chatting away in German. I have no hang-ups about doing this. The worst that could possibly happen is that they talk back in English, although this has not yet happened to me. I find that when you surprise people by speaking their language, they react in a positive fashion. I often do it in a humble and self-effacing manner...hey I'm just a big daft Brit who can talk a bit of Deutsch. I didn't start approaching strangers in German until I was able to speak with confidence. But if you have the skill, why not use it? I've chatted to people in bars, on campsites, at concerts, in shops, at street markets etc and I've always had a rewarding experience. Yet I'm actually a quiet fellow who enjoys his own company, but when I put my language hat on I am not afraid to wander over to someone.....and I get a lot out of it. 5 persons have voted this message useful | |
| nicozerpa Triglot Senior Member Argentina Joined 4324 days ago 182 posts - 315 votes Speaks: Spanish*, Portuguese, English Studies: Italian, German | Message 2 of 32 02 September 2013 at 2:32am | IP Logged |
|
Although I'm a shy person, I've actually done it, and it's great!. Luckily, Buenos Aires is one of the favourite destinations for Brazilian tourists, so I've practised Portuguese talking with some of them. They are really nice people.
1 person has voted this message useful | |
| MarlonX19 Diglot Groupie Brazil Joined 4163 days ago 40 posts - 51 votes Speaks: Portuguese*, English Studies: French | Message 3 of 32 02 September 2013 at 5:33am | IP Logged |
|
I haven't had many chances to speak another language, other than Portuguese, but I certainly won't feel ashamed or shy if I ever meet some foreigner who speaks the language I am learning... By the way, I am Brazilian and I intend to visit Buenos Aires soon.
2 persons have voted this message useful | |
| mike245 Triglot Senior Member Hong Kong Joined 6970 days ago 303 posts - 408 votes Speaks: English*, Spanish, Cantonese Studies: French, German, Mandarin, Khmer | Message 4 of 32 02 September 2013 at 8:32am | IP Logged |
|
I have also had some great interactions talking with strangers in foreign languages.
In the US, it's usually conversations in Cantonese or Spanish, which don't really feel that foreign, since I hear these languages all the time in California. I will also strike up conversations with locals in foreign countries when I'm traveling. However, I think the interactions that are the most fun are when you get to use a foreign language unexpectedly. For instance, when I was in China, I asked a question of a Belgian tourist standing in front of me in line. He didn't speak any English and I didn't speak any French at the time, so we chatted for about 10 minutes in German. Once, in Lisbon, I helped a French couple buy museum tickets, and then spent a few minutes chatting with them in French. And when I was in Germany earlier this year, I saw some Brazilian tourists speaking to each other in Portuguese. I politely asked one of them (in Portuguese) if she could help take a picture for my group, which led to a 20-minute conversation. These interactions have always been positive and interesting, but unfortunately, I am usually too shy to break the ice when these opportunities arise. Edited by mike245 on 02 September 2013 at 11:22am 1 person has voted this message useful | |
| tarvos Super Polyglot Winner TAC 2012 Senior Member China likeapolyglot.wordpr Joined 4705 days ago 5310 posts - 9399 votes Speaks: Dutch*, English, Swedish, French, Russian, German, Italian, Norwegian, Mandarin, Romanian, Afrikaans Studies: Greek, Modern Hebrew, Spanish, Portuguese, Czech, Korean, Esperanto, Finnish | Message 5 of 32 02 September 2013 at 11:13am | IP Logged |
|
If I hear them, I just talk. I managed to overhear Romanian in Vladivostok that way :)
4 persons have voted this message useful | |
| Bao Diglot Senior Member Germany tinyurl.com/pe4kqe5 Joined 5764 days ago 2256 posts - 4046 votes Speaks: German*, English Studies: French, Spanish, Japanese, Mandarin | Message 6 of 32 02 September 2013 at 12:52pm | IP Logged |
|
When I hear people speaking Spanish or with a Spanish accent I often strike up a conversation, even though I'm terminally shy. It's usually not a long conversation, and maybe only a token part of it in Spanish, but I think 'in Spain I made the experience of people talking to me and trying to make me feel welcome, so I'll try to make these people a bit more welcome, too.
1 person has voted this message useful | |
| James29 Diglot Senior Member United States Joined 5373 days ago 1265 posts - 2113 votes Speaks: English*, Spanish Studies: French | Message 7 of 32 02 September 2013 at 1:35pm | IP Logged |
|
Dumb question: what do you actually say to "strike up a conversation"? I never know what to say.
1 person has voted this message useful | |
| tarvos Super Polyglot Winner TAC 2012 Senior Member China likeapolyglot.wordpr Joined 4705 days ago 5310 posts - 9399 votes Speaks: Dutch*, English, Swedish, French, Russian, German, Italian, Norwegian, Mandarin, Romanian, Afrikaans Studies: Greek, Modern Hebrew, Spanish, Portuguese, Czech, Korean, Esperanto, Finnish | Message 8 of 32 02 September 2013 at 1:58pm | IP Logged |
|
Whatever. It doesn't really matter. Usually something contextual.
1 person has voted this message useful |
|  | 
Printable version
|
| Copyright 2024 FX Micheloud - All rights reserved No part of this website may be copied by any means without my written authorization. |
