A human connection - whether it’s brief and in passing, or deeper and more lasting, is a wonderful side product of travelling in another country. Those connections help us learn so much more than a guidebook or top ten list can ever tell us, and are often the most memorable parts of a trip. Sometimes a language barrier prevents this connection and so in Episode 277 we talk about the ways knowing a local language, whether just a few words or fluently, can make a huge difference to the quality of your experience.
As well as fabulous anecdotes shared by members Anuj, Justin and Carolanna, members of the Thoughtful Travellers community, I also speak with three guests. Eliza Raymond summarises perfectly how a common language is so connecting, and then James Patterson gives a great example of learning some words of local language during his stays on Orkney. Finally, Kayra Martinez, who’s spent a lot of time studying many languages, discusses the value of language learning not just amongst travellers but amongst refugees as well, in the context of a northern Greece refugee camp where she’s spent a lot of time working. Throughout the episode I also make mention of some of the academic research on the topic, carried out by Portuguese researchers.
Links:
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
162 Choosing Where to Live Abroad
161 Cycling Across the World
160 Cairns and Queensland Podcast Diary
159 Languages and Travel
158 When Travel Days Go Wrong
157 Uncommon Destinations
156 How Travel Stretches Our Comfort Zone
155 What's So Special About India?
154 Dancing on Your Travels
153 Reading Books to Inspire Travel
152 Transformative Travel
151 Scuba Diving Travel
150 Post-Denmark Thoughtful Travel Debrief
149 - Class and Privilege When We Travel
148 - Solo Travelling
147 - Ten Years a Nomad with Nomadic Matt Kepnes
146 - Travelling in Iran
145 - Volunteering Experiences While Travelling
144 - Grief, Travel and Change
143 - Helpful or Harmful Travel with Jan Fran
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