What language do you prefer to speak on vacation?

Some people hope to surround themselves with as many fellow countrymen as possible while on vacation. Others see it as a challenge to get by in a foreign country with pre-learned phrases.

Since Spanish was the primary language in my parental home, it was easy for me to communicate during vacations in Spain from a young age. Sure, my grammar was, and still is, not always perfect. But whether we stayed in a hotel full of Dutch people or an apartment with only Spaniards, I could talk to everyone.

So, I didn't need to use gestures when I wanted to make friends on the Costa Brava. I was often used as a translator when sparks flew between a Spaniard and a Dutch person in the apartment complex.

Everything in English

It only became difficult for me when, after many trips to Spain, I went to another country for the first time. How strange and unfortunate it was that I suddenly couldn't understand anything (read: nothing). That's when I realized how irritating it is to be somewhere where you don't speak the language. Suddenly, I had to ask everything in English and just hope to be understood. I'm used to it by now, but it's still the best when you can hear what everyone is talking about all day long.

Trying out languages during vacation

That's why those French and German classes in school came in handy. Plus, it's still fun to put those lessons into practice. Seeing how far you can get when starting a conversation in those languages. Expanding your English vocabulary with bad words in a pub, wherever in the world, is, of course, always a great success. And how I wish I had taken Italian lessons!

In your own language

But still, chatting in your own language remains the easiest. How nice is it when you cautiously start with Hola or Bonjour while traveling, and soon find out that you can just speak in your own language. Even though you can now get by anywhere in the world with Google Translate or AI.

Because besides the language barrier, there are also various customs that don't always align. And it's super frustrating when you're making such an effort in another language, and you just get a reply in English!