Brit holidaymakers: shameful money wasters…?

This week we find ourselves enlightened on yet another holiday-related survey; this time from sunshine.co.uk which reports that on average, Brits waste a cool £150 on unnecessary holiday purchases simply because they don’t want to take the extra cash back home with them at the end of their holiday.

More than half said they couldn’t be bothered to change their money back to sterling upon return to the UK and the rest said they frittered it away because they’d already budgeted for it so thought they might as well spend it.

Now, fair’s fair, we’ve probably all made an impulse holiday purchase that we didn’t really need at some point in our lives (a tacky souvenir, a large sombrero, a bottle of strange-looking local liqueur that we have no intention of ever opening (let alone drinking); and we’ve probably all come back from our hols, dumped a pile of odd foreign coins into a box or drawer and forgotten about them (in fact, there’s a good chance they’ll never see the light of day again) – but £150 of wasted purchases? That is a lot of money.

The sad thing is, much of this comes down to laziness and the ‘I can’t be bothered syndrome’ but how many of us can honestly say we’d have the courage to set-alight £150 worth of bank notes and comfortably watch them go up in smoke?  Probably not many; but in essence, that’s exactly what is happening here.

You’ve probably gathered that wasting money is not really a language we understand here at i-interpret4u – probably because we hear so many frustrating stories recounting situations where the language barrier has ended up costing holidaymakers dearly.  Whether it’s getting on the wrong train having already paid your fare, jumping in a taxi having miscommunicated the directions or location to the driver, or ordering the wrong thing on a restaurant menu; scenarios like this usually end up costing more money than we’d bargained for – all the more reason to watch the pennies, but if you really must make an unplanned purchase, at least make it a useful one!   

An idiot abroad? Is there a Karl Pilkington lurking inside us…?

Well yes, one third of us to be precise; that’s if we are to look at the results of a recent study from latedeals.co.uk which claims that as many as a third of Brits can draw comparisons between themselves and TV grump, Karl Pilkington whilst on holiday abroad.

Something that really seems to stand out in these types of surveys is the apparent level of stress that a holiday overseas can bring for many people.  Surely a holiday is supposed to evoke thoughts of basking in a tropical paradise, embarking on a cultural adventure, or the lure of carefree relaxation which is a welcome change to the pressures and realities of everyday life? And yet, more than a third of UK holidaymakers said they found a day’s sightseeing to be stressful.  Surely not?

But maybe there is more to it than that.  Perhaps these levels of stress are linked to other factors associated with holidaying abroad.  Interestingly, the survey also found that people were concerned about other aspects of travel, such as organising public transport in a foreign language – it found that this in particular could drive stress levels through the roof!  It’s also another reason why many people invest in hiring a car on holiday in an attempt to avoid this issue altogether (despite the possibility that using local public transport could be much cheaper or a better option).

Of course, if you’re worried about the language barrier anyway, hiring a car isn’t going to solve that problem.  What if you get lost?  What if the car breaks down and you need to contact the appropriate emergency service?  What if you have an accident in the vehicle and need to communicate with a local?  The recent survey by Ford (discussed in our previous blog) sheds even more light on the number of people who wouldn’t be able to make an emergency call in a foreign language. So it seems that having the capability to communicate in another language as and when the need arises, would be invaluable in reducing stress levels for many people.

Sadly, the assumption is that new environments and cultures are more suited to the seasoned traveller (and the language barrier probably has a lot to do with this) – but for everyday Brits, these less–frequent overseas trips can cause stress and anxiety.  Holidays should be fun, exciting and stress-free, particularly as most people only get one or two weeks holiday off work per year; it’s precious time that shouldn’t be fraught with panic and worry.

Survey says most of us couldn’t make an emergency services phone call in a foreign country…

A recent survey commissioned by car manufacturing giant, Ford (http://www.femalefirst.co.uk/travel/travel+news-266802.html),  left us quite bewildered at the number of people across Europe (including the UK), who admitted they wouldn’t be able to make an emergency phone call while overseas, should the need arise.  75% have travelled by car in countries where they would have been unable to make an emergency services call in the local language.

Thousands of families in the UK travel overseas on holiday every year and one would assume that safety is a number one priority for most (and we believe it is), but the results of this survey would have us believe that there is a real lack of preparation and planning amongst families when travelling abroad; perhaps this stems from a laid-back culture, complacency or even complete oblivion that the unthinkable might happen to us? 

Either way it’s astonishing that people head for far away shores where they don’t speak a word of the local language, with no plan of action, or little thought for how they might tackle an emergency situation should one occur.  And let’s be honest, these are the kinds of scenarios that we can’t plan for, we don’t know when lightning will strike just as we don’t know when a language barrier could present very real problems for us should we find ourselves in a serious situation where we couldn’t communicate.

What really screams out from this survey is why are people willing to take such a gamble on their loved-ones’ safety and well-being?  The truth is they’re not willing to. It is simply a case of ‘it won’t happen to me’ and until that culture starts to shift, there is little chance of change. 

Just as you wouldn’t leave the UK border without adequate travel insurance, your luggage and your passport, perhaps people should think twice about leaving the UK without an ‘in case of emergency’ plan?
 

Five useful travel tips when dealing with a language barrier on holiday

Finding yourself in a difficult or tricky situation because you’re unfamiliar with a foreign language is not uncommon. It could arise from something fairly straightforward such as needing directions to the nearest beach or help to understand the dining options on a restaurant menu; or it might be something more serious like calling an emergency doctor if your child falls ill, or reporting the theft of your goods to a local police officer. Whilst not every situation is black and white, much of your reaction or response in these scenarios comes down to logic and common sense, but here are a few tips to help you on your travels:

·        Don’t assume everyone speaks English – it’s an assumption that many of us make, but 82% of the world’s population don’t speak English, so you are more than likely to encounter locals who don’t understand a word of what you are saying.  It’s worth doing a bit of advance ground research on the country you are visiting as some areas will have a greater population of English-speakers than others – it always helps to be prepared.

·        Know when not to use a phrase book – phrase books are great for quick, off-the-cuff words like ‘hello’, ‘goodbye’, ‘thank you’; they are also useful as a reference guide – i.e. translating a written word on a road/street sign, looking up words to help you on your travels for insight and exploration. Where they fall short is from a conversational stand-point. If a local launches into a full-blown conversation and it’s clear they need to communicate with you for a specific reason, using a phrase book simply won’t cut it.

·        Keep calm and breathe – regardless of a language barrier you’re likely to pick up vibes if someone is irate or angry by their tone, facial expression and body language. If that happens it is best to avoid shouting back, but instead stay calm and if possible try to find a local who speaks English to help you interpret or use drawings/pictures to help explain the conversation. Of course, in many scenarios this may not be possible.

·        Avoid shouting and waving your arms about – never shout louder, talk in a slower, more condescending voice or wave your arms frantically in an attempt to communicate with someone. This is more likely to exacerbate the situation and come across as insulting and rude. It is worth remembering that although the person may not understand English, they are human and they will pick up on bad manners that are offensive to them.

·        Use someone who can speak the lingo – if we’re completely honest, all of the above scenarios can be dealt with quickly and more effectively by having 24/7 access to an interpreter in your pocket such as traveller service i-interpret4u (www.i-interpret4u.co.uk). This will ensure that you are able to communicate in 85 different languages via your mobile phone or any landline, immediately at the point you need it with connection to a live interpreter in under a minute – great peace of mind when travelling overseas with your family and no need for stress and panic when the language barrier hurdle strikes.

We’ll be blog-posting more tips like these on a regular basis in line with current travel topics and trends so do come back and visit again…

Everyone speaks English…don’t they?

 

If we had a pound for every time we heard someone say this.  It’s probably fair to say that most of us have visited a country where we don’t speak the language, and it’s also probably fair to say that we don’t lose too much sleep over that fact.  Why? Because we don’t see it as an issue; we’ll get by somehow won’t we?  Most people speak English anyway, so someone will be able to interpret for us or get us out of a potentially tricky situation if needs be – right? 

Admittedly, it’s a bit of a lazy attitude, but it’s no secret that the number of Brits who speak a foreign language fluently are in the minority; and you’ve only to look at recent national newspaper headlines highlighting the threat that language departments at Universities may have to close down due to lack of the subject’s uptake, to understand its apparent growing lack of popularity.

But did you know that 5.7 billion people worldwide DON’T speak English?  And did you know that this represents around 82% of the world’s population? Interestingly, it’s probably not the figure most of us would expect to hear.  But unfortunately there seems to be an ongoing assumption that almost everyone overseas has first-class fluency in the English language, when evidently that’s not the case.

It begs the question, what kind of situation could you find yourself in while abroad, should someone misunderstand what you are saying?  An embarrassing one?  Maybe.  A costly one? Perhaps. A dangerous one?  Indeed.  The possibilities of all of these scenarios and more are very real for any one of us, so it’s probably time that we took some sort of action to safeguard ourselves against getting caught out next time we’re abroad.  Drop in next time for some helpful advice and top tips on dealing with the language barrier… 

Welcome to the i-interpret4u blog – helping people to make sense of language barriers…

 

 

If you’ve ever visited a country overseas where you don’t speak the language, unsurprisingly you’re not alone. If you’ve ever found yourself in an emergency situation abroad with no way to communicate; if you’ve ever battled with using a phrase book in more complicated circumstances; if you’ve offended a native unintentionally, got lost and needed directions whilst on your travels, or you’ve simply ordered the wrong thing on a restaurant menu written in another language – you can bet your life, you’re not alone. 

A massive 86% of Brits visit countries every year where they don’t speak the language*, so whether it’s for business or pleasure, it probably goes without saying that we could all do with a helping hand when it comes to communicating in a foreign language; and that is exactly what the i-intepret4u blog is all about – helping people to make sense of language barriers and to offer a bit of food for thought along the way.
 
Drop in for useful advice and hints and tips aimed at holiday-makers in the UK, gap year travellers (and their parents), overseas volunteers, those who study overseas, Brits living abroad or looking to up-sticks and move to a new country, business travellers on the move, and anyone else who wants to communicate in another language but falls at the first hurdle…and that’s a lot of people!
 
What can you expect? Access to helpful information and advice which looks at the real issues associated with language barriers. Interesting and lively debate in line with current travel news, sound advice on dealing with the difficulties imposed by language barriers, travel planning tips, help and support for parents and families holidaying abroad or preparing for their child’s gap year adventures. You’ll see new surveys and polls, guest blogs from experts, video content, competitions, giveaways, and much more. 

We are always interested in hearing your comments and views so why not join the conversation today?

 *censuswide survey October 2012