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.
181 Small Group Travel
180 Fourth Anniversary Travel Journal Memory Lane
179 Australian Tourism After the Bushfires
178 Interesting Plane Passengers Sitting Next to You
177 African Travels
Book Club 01: The Art of Travel by Alain de Botton
176 When Travelling is Your Job
175 Walking and Hiking Travels
174 Life Lessons From Travel
173 Anxiety and Travel
172 Helping Others When We Travel
171 Moving to Another Country
170 How Travel Changed in a Decade
169 Romance and Travel
168 New Year Travels [Replay]
167 Christmas Travels [Replay]
166 Travel Year in Review
165 Travel Insurance Saves the Day
164 Please Travel With Your Children
163 Tony Wheeler, Lonely Planet Founder
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