In 2012 we took my grandfather to Italy. It was the first time in 20 years he went abroad, and first time ever that he traveled to a non-Russian speaking country. He did quite a bit of traveling when he was younger. This was back when the Soviet Union still bloomed, and all of the countries he visited were under the soviet occupation, thus at least partly Russian speaking. It came as a bit of a shock to him when he realized that the nice, Italian lady at the reception of one of our hotels really didn't speak a word of Russian. He turned to another employee, yet he couldn't help him either.
His world is much bigger now but it took a couple of more trips to other countries in western Europe for him to realize (and admit) that Russian is currently not one of the major languages of western Europe. What languages do you need to get by in the world then? Here are a few of our observations, starting with Europe and the Americas.
His world is much bigger now but it took a couple of more trips to other countries in western Europe for him to realize (and admit) that Russian is currently not one of the major languages of western Europe. What languages do you need to get by in the world then? Here are a few of our observations, starting with Europe and the Americas.
Europe: English works in most of Europe with some exceptions like some French and German speaking regions as well as the Balkans. Even in Spain and Portugal, with very widely spoken languages of their own, you will be able to communicate in, at least some level of English. However, pay a visit to the French speaking areas in Belgium or France itself and you will most likely need to use your hands and toes to communicate. In countries such as Germany, Austria and Switzerland you might also need to grab that good old German phrase book, especially when traveling outside the capital areas.
Eastern Europe has many Russian speakers and even though the Baltic citizens often prefer English, you can easily find Russian speakers in most businesses as about half of the population has Russian as the native language. Traveling south from Baltics to countries such as Poland, Czech Republic and Hungary you will be able to use your German, but English is very widely spoken as well. When you finally reach Balkans, you can use English which works fine in most regions but knowledge of Russian helps a lot. Countries like Romania and Bulgaria have surprisingly wide population of French and Italian speakers also, at least this is what we have noticed on our trips. Traveling in Macedonia, Montenegro and Turkey is much easier if you understand a bit of Russian. Speaking Russian in those regions will actually work in your benefit and probably even give you a small discount with your purchases!
Did you know that many people living in Kosovo speak English due to the presence of Nato troops in the region?
Eastern Europe has many Russian speakers and even though the Baltic citizens often prefer English, you can easily find Russian speakers in most businesses as about half of the population has Russian as the native language. Traveling south from Baltics to countries such as Poland, Czech Republic and Hungary you will be able to use your German, but English is very widely spoken as well. When you finally reach Balkans, you can use English which works fine in most regions but knowledge of Russian helps a lot. Countries like Romania and Bulgaria have surprisingly wide population of French and Italian speakers also, at least this is what we have noticed on our trips. Traveling in Macedonia, Montenegro and Turkey is much easier if you understand a bit of Russian. Speaking Russian in those regions will actually work in your benefit and probably even give you a small discount with your purchases!
Did you know that many people living in Kosovo speak English due to the presence of Nato troops in the region?
In Greece you’ll get by in English quite well, but also
German is widely spoken, at least in most touristic areas.
All in all, Europe is incredibly multilingual and you will get by by speaking at least one of the following languages: English, German, French, Russian. However, Speaking either Spanish, Italian or Portuguese will also help you as these three languages are very similar - and widely spoken.
Cuba, Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico have Spanish as the native language.
Brazil is an exception making Spanish speakers a minority! In Brazil you will need Portuguese but, German and Italian might help you also. By the borders you'll probably get by in Spanish, but don't count on it. Again, English is, of course, spoken is touristic areas but Brazilian is the biggest and most important language in this country.
One of the surprising languages you’ll be able to use in Americas is German. Starting all the way from Mexico down to northeastern parts of Caribbean (some regions of Easter Islands) and continuing all the way down to Brazil and Paraguay you should be able to use German, at least in some areas. Some schools and universities in Mexico actually offer German as one of the optional languages to study meaning you can choose either English or German.
It is fascinating how much you learn about the different regions in the world only by knowing the locally spoken languages! Did you know that there used to be a small Courish settlement (Baltic tribe that used to live in parts of present day Latvia and Lithuania) in Tobago (Trinidad and Tobago of present day South-America) back in the 17th/18th century? Wonder what would have happened had the colony succeeded, and if we could add one of the Baltic languages to the list?
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