France is ditched by British holidaymakers in favour of other European destinations

New research from the Office of National Statistics (ONS) as highlighted in The Guardian this week, reported a drop of one fifth of British visitors travelling to France on holiday over the past four years.  In 2008, 10.9 million Britons went on holiday to France compared with 8.8 million in 2012.

 

 

Other statistics from the ONS also reported that, holidays to Spain and France account for one third of trips abroad taken by British citizens, which is pretty significant.

There are likely to be a number of reasons for the above figures, the Olympics, Golden Jubilee and the wettest April on record made 2012 a rather different year from a travelling perspective.  But, it’s probably more to do with the financial crisis and the unfavourable exchange rates – it might be just across the water, but France is certainly not considered to be a cheap place to holiday.

It’s still quite surprising in 2013 that the closer destinations (Spain and France) account for such a high proportion of Brits travelling abroad.  This gives the impression that many of us aren’t as adventurous as we could be when it comes to planning our holiday destinations.  The comfort blanket of plenty of English-speaking locals, the option of a good scattering of English-style pubs/bars and restaurants (should we be aiming to avoid any cultural/traditional cuisine) all adds to the ‘safe’ feelings of going on holiday.

 

But it’s a big wide world out there.  It would be nice to see the great British public indulging in a few more adventurous trips – whether it’s to experience new cultures and climates or simply to break away from going back to the same old holiday resort year in, year out.  Take the plunge and release the explorer in you – we believe it’s in there somewhere!

Top reasons why it’s pretty cool to communicate in other languages:

As we near the end of April is spring finally here? Are the warm summer nights just a stone-throw away?  Who knows?  But one thing that is for sure, next month will be a hugely popular time of year for many Brits as they start jetting-off to warmer climates and the holiday season gets well and truly underway.

So if you’re thinking of going overseas this year but like most of us British folk, you can’t speak an array of languages, you may think that the opportunity to communicate with locals abroad is pretty slim, or challenging to say the least.  But, what if it wasn’t tricky, what if you could? How cool would it be if you could speak to people you meet in other countries and have a proper conversation in real time even though you can’t speak the language?

Personal telephone interpreting allows you to have an affordable conversation in real time and in 85 languages - and the beauty is, you don’t need to understand one word of the language.

 

Top reasons why we think communicating in other languages could be a pretty cool thing to do:

 

1.    The possibilities for holiday romances are increased ten-fold!  How many relationships never get off the ground due to language barriers?  You can always learn the language later on if he turns out to be Mr Right - but you might miss out altogether if you can’t strike a conversation or find some common ground in the first instance!

2.    How many times have you been on holiday and felt that you haven’t truly experienced all that the country has to offer?  Perhaps you only visited the heavily populated tourist spots and dined in the British-friendly restaurants?  But what about the real culture of the destination – did you see any of that?  Having the ability to communicate in another language means you can strike up a conversation with a local, get chatting, ask for advice about the area, tips on the best rural restaurants to visit that will give you a real taste of the local cuisine, where the best beaches and unspoiled spots are etc. Nobody will be able to give you better first-hand insight than someone who lives in that location.  It could open up new experiences and make your holiday that much more exciting than it otherwise would have been.

3.    If you’re backpacking or planning on an adventure trip overseas, how useful would it be to have the chance to properly negotiate good room rates in hotels and hostels?  You could also get help and information from locals along your journey when you have questions or don’t understand something related to the culture, law etc.  You could visit local restaurants with menus written in the native languages and still understand exactly what you have ordered for dinner (no nasty surprises!) 

4.    Have you always dreamed of working overseas?  Fancy being a travel rep, working in a beach bar or are you planning to set up a business abroad?  If you could have conversations in 85 languages as and when you need to, this would certainly increase your chances of success, no question.

5.    Our last cool reason has to be the opportunity to meet new people and make new friends.  How many friendships never start due to a language barrier?  It’s good to talk, so get talking! 

The humble pictograph – could it lead to the death of learning a foreign language?

This week The Telegraph published a story citing that using pictographs to combat the language barrier could lead to the demise in learning a foreign language.  It states that linguists have constantly attempted to simplify communication between cultures saying that this system (the use of images) can already surpass language barriers and communicate information.  According to some linguists, this trend is set to increase and many predict that pictographs will be the future of language.

The article then poses the question: if we can reduce language barriers in everyday situations, to what extent do we reduce the incentive for language learning? If we can navigate a foreign place with signs and pictures, doesn’t language study become a waste of time?

An interesting topic indeed; it’s certainly got our thoughts racing here at i-interpret4u.  But our view of the above is this: people have always used sign language, people have always used images and, people have always used speech to communicate.  This is nothing new.  The suggestion that an increase in the use of the pictograph will lead to a decline in the learning of languages is a non-starter.  There are already substantial statistics out there and physical evidence available (in the shape of recent language department closures across many universities) to support the fact that there is a big decline in the numbers of British people opting to learn a foreign language.  But is this really a revelation?  Brits are notoriously well-known for being rather laid-back when it comes to learning the local lingo overseas.

The idea that pictographs surpass language barriers may be true in some cases, but certainly not in all.  Like the classic ‘phrase book’, the pictograph serves a purpose if you want to know where the nearest restroom is (providing the sign is in sight of course).  What it can’t do is overcome a language barrier from a conversational point of view.  Nor can it overcome a language barrier if you find yourself lost and in need of directions from a local, or you lose your passport and need to speak to an official.  The article suggests pictographs will reduce language barriers in everyday situations but surely the above are also everyday situations?  The truth is, any of these scenarios and more, could occur at any point.

In conclusion, does reducing the language barrier mean that learning a language is a waste of time?  Well that’s not for us to say; there are arguably many valuable skills to be gained from increasing your linguistic aptitude.  But in our opinion, anything that helps to overcome a language barrier is a positive thing.  The fact is, Brits aren’t renowned for learning languages and this won’t change (pictographs or no pictographs).  So it makes sense that there are a number of different tools available out there to make communicating abroad easier no matter what the situation.

 

UK holidaymakers are missing out on certain holiday destinations

Despite many of our idealistic dreams of basking in the sun under palm trees, kicking our feet across sugar-sand beaches and dipping our toes into turquoise waters, more than one in ten of us have missed out on visiting a particular holiday destination because of a language barrier; that is according to new research from Skyscanners.

It’s no great surprise that many Brits don’t speak a foreign language, but what is surprising is that many people are letting this affect their holiday plans, which means they could be missing out on some amazing experiences worldwide.

In fact this recent survey backs up our own independent research conducted in March of this year, that confirmed that almost a quarter of Brits have never been to a destination where they don’t speak the native language and some of those would avoid visiting a country altogether for this very reason.  So it seems that some people are letting their fear of being unable to understand another language control their choice of holiday destination.

Interestingly, although the most commonly learned second language in the UK is French, it’s actually the country that is most avoided by British travellers according to Skyscanners’ research.  So perhaps the reasons for choosing certain locations aren’t quite so black and white?  It’s possible that deep down these people do want to venture further afield but if the language barrier is holding them back, a visit across the Channel to France is perhaps no more adventurous than a more ‘comforting’ trip to Wales or Scotland?

Perhaps we should all follow in the footsteps of the Welsh population, who have been cited in this survey as the most confident travellers in the UK and are the least likely to allow the language barrier to impact their travel plans.