Learning Languages While Traveling

Posted by Amanda Kendle Jun 21, 2007

Before my first trip to Russia, I spent a couple of months learning the Cyrillic alphabet. I used to sit on the train in Japan and write out the letters over and over. It was easier than learning Japanese; at least some of the letters are the same, and others are similar - I could remember the "backwards N" easily, for example. And when I arrived in Vladivostok, being able to read the street signs made life immediately easier.

The same goes for learning a few Russian phrases. I learned basic greetings, some basic question forms (especially about asking for directions) and how to count. I always try to learn these kind of phrases wherever I travel - I think it's only polite to at least make an attempt to speak the local language, rather than simply expecting everybody to speak English.

It paid off most heavily when I journeyed on the Trans-Siberian. Along with the phrases I'd learned, I used my phrase book to converse with some 10-year-old kids who were in the same car as me on the train, and we managed to play chess together and learn a bit about each other.

This week's article on Survival Russian Language Skills will get you started on your language journey. Good luck - I promise it's worth it!