Best way to learn foreign languages for holidaying.

[Boostin' Kev]

It's that time of the year again where I'm about to make a usually half hearted attempt to learn the native language of my summer holiday destination.

 

I'm flying out to Lisbon in under 5 weeks time and am determined to make a better attempt than previous years.  I've got the duolingo app on my phone and have heard good things about Rosetta Stone.

 

I often find with these resources that a lot of the time I'm learning things like "the boy would like to eat an apple" which is an example of a term I'm hoping I won't be using too often during my week away.

 

Does anyone have any recommendations for resources to learn regular conversational holidaying lines like "what beer do you have" and "where's the pisher?"  Thinking of just going with a phrase book this year tbh.

 

 

[Deeboy]

Pete, I beg you, please, go into a fruit store - point at yourself and say "The boy would like to eat an apple' in the native tongue. Video it, upload to LADbible.

[Boostin' Kev]

Consider it done Deeboy.

[welshbairn]

Heard the Babel app's good, you can just a few minutes every so often on your phone when you're bored.

[Granny Danger]

Don't learn the language, assume everyone speaks English or at least should.

Say everything in English, if this doesn't work just keep repeating it in a louder and louder voice.

If this doesn't work storm off in the huff mumbling 'fucking foreigners'.

[Deeboy]

Consider it done Deeboy.

You're a star. If possible, wear that 'runnin tings' top too.

x

[Joey Jo Jo Junior Shabadoo]

If you fly out next week and immerse yourself in the language for a month then you should be fine by the time your holiday starts.

 

ETA: Get a 'For Dummies' CD set and a learn Portuguese quick book. Do a couple of lessons per day on Duolingo. You'll be sorted in a couple of weeks with a bit of effort.

[Fullerene]

You say, in your best Portuguese, "The boy would like to eat an apple"

 

They reply "Yes, very good, would you like an apple as well, and what about your wife, would you like to try some nectarines, just arrived today, very fresh, or maybe some peaches, I would recommend them, especially in a fruit salad if you can find the time, me I am always busy, I start work at 8 in the morning after milking the cows, and after I finish at 10 o clock, I am lucky if I get any sleep because my neighbour, he thinks he is the next Luciano Pavarotti but he is not, more like a strangled cat if you ask me, so yes, an apple it is, would you like to know the price?"

 

Learning the language is more than learning the questions, it is also learning to understand the answers - which is why I never understood the point of phrase books.

[madwullie]

You say, in your best Portuguese, "The boy would like to eat an apple"

They reply "Yes, very good, would you like an apple as well, and what about your wife, would you like to try some nectarines, just arrived today, very fresh, or maybe some peaches, I would recommend them, especially in a fruit salad if you can find the time, me I am always busy, I start work at 8 in the morning after milking the cows, and after I finish at 10 o clock, I am lucky if I get any sleep because my neighbour, he thinks he is the next Luciano Pavarotti but he is not, more like a strangled cat if you ask me, so yes, an apple it is, would you like to know the price?"

Learning the language is more than learning the questions, it is also learning to understand the answers - which is why I never understood the point of phrase books.

Yeah this.

I have a semi decent understanding of Spanish. Can pretty much read it within reason, but lack confidence in speaking and listening.

A few years back I was in Spain for new year and as a smoker at the time, was worried about running out of fags when all the shops were closed.

Managed to explain the situation to a woman working in a supermarket late on hogmanay, hoping for a quick "go straight on, take the second street on the left and the tobacconist is around the corner." Sadly, her 2 minutes or so of chat she gave me was completely incomprehensible and I had to nod in pretence of understanding and do without fags at new year.

[Ned Nederlander]

The Google Translate App is fucking superb - say a phrase you want translated then repeat what it says to see if it understands.

Download the offline package before travelling.

The best bit is the camera - align it to some text and it translates it for you ... handy for menus or shops, it even tries to match the font.

[capybara]

I Learnt a lot of Portuguese before going to Brazil. I was lucky that I had Brasilian friends and I could converse with them. I had the old tapes that I used to play as I drove on overnight deliveries to London. I read the Portuguese BBC site . To be honest you need to speak it all the time. There are good books and CD,s but they are not cheap if you just want to order a beer. Anyway good luck.

[Boostin' Kev]

Thanks for all suggestions.  I'm not trying to learn the language fluently just enough to try to disguise my laziness when it comes to learning other countries native languages.  I'm going for the endearing look at me I've made an effort look then hoping to basically continue talking English.

[tamthebam]

this phrase may come in useful:

 

O meu hovercraft esta cheio de enguias. 

[vikingTON]

Thanks for all suggestions.  I'm not trying to learn the language fluently just enough to try to disguise my laziness when it comes to learning other countries native languages.  I'm going for the endearing look at me I've made an effort look then hoping to basically continue talking English.

 

Print out a few relevant pages of the Wikitravel phrase book then and learn the phrases, numbers, etc. 

[Dee Man]

"Onde é Madeleine?" and "Gerry é culpado" will be great ice breakers over there.

[heedthebaa]

I just put an O at the end of every word, it gets me by

[L. Brilliant]

If you want to actually remember it you will need to write it, say it, hear it, repeat. Neural pathways, ken. I reckon it's near impossible without someone to practice on

[locheedfcno1]

Listen to podcasts??

[hk blues]

I wouldn't bother -5 weeks seems too short to learn anything meaningful?

I've lived in Asia for the past 12 years and never bothered learning any of the language in either place I've lived. English is enough to get by IMHO. Come to think of it, I probably had more communication problems when I lived in Manchester!

[Fullerene]

I recall a Brazilian edition of a phrasebook for English-Portuguese.  It had phrases such as

 

Do you have to drive so fast?

Hey, that was a red light

The lane markings are there for a reason

Look I am really not in a hurry

Hey if this is what I wanted - I would have gone to Alton Towers