Episode 175 Why You Should Speak English Abroad

Today on the podcast we have the second episode about Travel English. This time we're talking about speaking English in foreign countries where English is NOT the common language and might not even be taught in schools at all. This is no excuse not to try using and practise your English. I recently met a Chinese student who's just moved to Thailand so his kids can go to an International school. He'd finding that he's using English all day every day just to go about his daily life. Remember that the people you're speaking to might be just as nervous as you to speak in English (even if they look confident!). This might be the first time they've had to use their English or they might have trouble understanding your accent. It's a great opportunity for you to practise your skills and learn how to make yourself understood, even if you need to use some body language. You might need to adapt your English to the situation. A question might be quite different depending on who you're asking it to. To a Native English Speaker: 'Excuse me, sorry to bother you. Would you mind telling me where the nearest Starbucks is, please?' To someone who learned English at school: 'Hello, Where is Starbucks, Please?' To someone with little to no English: 'Starbucks, please?' None of these options is better or worse than the other. We're all trying to understand each other, so whatever we can do to make that easier is good! Vocabulary Expanse - something very large In the same boat - idiom - means everyone is in similar or the same circumstances Far from it - phrase - often used to emphasise how different something is Caveat - a warning of specific conditions or limitations Perceived - seen or understood Unlearn - to recognise that you have learned some incorrect information and actively work to learn the correct information and change your behaviour and understanding to match the new set of information or circumstances. Gauge - try to guess or understand from what you can see or hear Illustrate - to have pictures to increase understanding of a situation