I'm Angie, a Malaysian living in Singapore, and I love Southeast Asia so much!
Even if I have only visited 6 of the 11 countries here. Perhaps being a small-town girl transitioned into a big-city woman gave me an opportunity to experience the regional charms from natural forest to concrete jungle, and the easy access to the local food culture put me right at home no matter where I go.
Over the past few years, I had the chance to meet a few long-term travellers from beyond, touring Southeast Asia. Often they would tell me that their favourite part about the region is the less touristy places, where they could put themselves right into the local experiences. I almost get what they mean - when I was researching for a Bali trip, I was so sick of repetitive contents about the same destinations and sights that I decided to forget about it, rented a scooter, and went about with my own exploration and schedule. Best decision ever made.
Bali aside, I began to think: what about everywhere ...
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I've been multilingual since I was young, with three fluent (or nearly fluent) languages under my belt, like many Malaysians. I also self-studied Japanese from a young age.
Recently I delved into learning French after conversing with native speakers (in English). I was fascinated to understand why French-speakers articulated things the way they did in English, by matching the vocabulary and structure to their native French. I also learned about idioms and phrases through language podcasts.
I've only visited a few cities in France — however learning the culture through the language made me feel like I'm actually experiencing the country.
Does anyone else feel the same about language-based tourism?
Definitely. I love foreign languages and am a translator by profession. It's so great to be able to converse with people & read information when travelling. But even if I am visiting a country where I don't know the language, I make sure I learn at least some basics before going, if nothing else out of respect to the locals. It's always a much richer travel experience when you are able to witness a culture through the lens of language.
Language is certainly key to appreciating local culture when travelling. I studied ethnology during my formative schooling and remain facinated in the subject, specifically from an Africa perspective.
In South Africa nearly all locals are multilingual with English, Afrikaans, Sotho, Xhosa, and Zulu being the most common home languages and the former two being spoken fluently by nearly everyone.
There are also six other official languages in the country, so you'll encounter different dialects (and cultures) in each of the country's nine the provinces. Even Sign Language holds official status under the constitution.
In cosmopolitan cities, like Johannesburg, Cape Town, and Durban, you'll encounter many of Africa's
2,000 languages. In terms of language diversity in a single country, Nigeria has the most with 520 languages.
Yes, I do - especially when it comes to food. =) It's so much more useful to be able to view the menu in the language of my destination vs the less descriptive (and sometimes mistranslated) English version. At the very least, I'll add the language on Duolingo a month or two before a trip. The smallest phrases come in handy sometimes!
I wrote about this topic last year too: www.washingtonpost.com/travel/tips/foreign-language-travel-food-phrases/
I've noticed that if you have guests they immediately light when you can speak their language. It has a way of breaking the ice even if only a few phrases😀
For me, learning at least some knowledge of a language and its culture are inseparable. Furthermore, the synergy and emotional connection that occurs between the local person and the visitor, when the latter speaks minimally their language, makes the trip truly worth it. It is the best souvenir.