The Power of Language
Duolingo. Babbel. Busuu. Rosetta Stone.
These are the modern-day Beatles. Instead of crossing the street, however, these are more popular for crossing oceans and country borders.
You've probably heard of one of these language learning platforms. It's also likely that you've used one of these apps. Here are some quick stats about the usage of language apps:
- 13% of U.S. adults have used language learning apps and have enjoyed the experience (1).
- In 2021 Duolingo was the most popular app, compared to the top 10 apps in this category. 63.54% of language learners studied on Duolingo (2).
- Duolingo earned $404.68 million in revenue from subscriptions in 2023 (3).
Have you ever used one of these apps? If so, which one did you prefer?
The Impact of Language and Technology on Modern-Day Communication.
AI, dictation tools, translation services are threatening the communication landscape. Interpreters may be needed less because of these technological advances. Travelers with fancy smartphones are starting to lean into those devices more frequently.
My perspective is that Europe, North America, and portions of Asia and Africa have these new technologies, while much of the world that I've seen still doesn't have as much access to smartphones as I'm used to seeing in North America.
I think there will be a time when we won't need to learn new languages (because Elon Musk or some other AI mogul will provide brain chips that translate automatically and in real time). When that time comes, the chip will make it easier to communicate and there won't be as much of a need to learn new languages to communicate.
In order for this new reality to exist, everyone in the world will need to have that chip implanted. With the current technological divide around the world, I think for the time being we will continue to lean into a medium-level of technological use for translation services - available to those who have access to them.
For right now, we will continue to depend on learning new languages to communicate, and I think that's a good thing.
Why You Should Still Learn Another Language
Sure, you can just lean into Google Translate or other translation apps that have real-time interpretation features. Your phone can talk and listen for you. This is easier, cheaper, and more effective if you travel a lot or don't have the time to learn a new language.
The upsides + downsides to using live translation services:
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Pros:
- It's real-time so there's no risk of you missing any words or meanings.
- You can have a more in-depth conversation
Cons:
- It doesn't quite feel human.
- There is a delay in the conversation.
- The software may misunderstand your sentence or words.
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In my travels, being able to communicate makes the trip that much more special. To be able to talk to someone who lives a different life than you makes the world that much smaller. Before my trips I try to learn the basic words and phrases so that I don't feel completely lost.
I went to Egypt in March 2023 and I learned enough Arabic to have basic conversations with everyone I talked to. While I was on my trip I asked everyone who spoke English to teach me at least one more Arabic word that I could add to my repertoire. By the end of the two weeks, I was having half-conversations with locals. I said "hello, how are you" (marhaban, kayfa haluk) every day to my street vendor who sold me waters and snacks. I had a go-to taxi driver who I talked to about how beautiful Egypt is (Masr gameela giddan).
The shop owners were impressed at how much I knew when I came into the stores. Often I used the same words for everyone I interacted with, so it wasn't new to me or my travel partners, but each new person I interacted with was surprised and ended up treating me differently than other tourists. I was making them laugh and they could tell I actually cared about the interaction, instead of it being a forced or awkward interaction.
I have embraced the lifestyle of acting as a traveler instead of a tourist. I want to interact with and learn about the locals, their culture, and their cities / towns. I don't want to just take, but I also want to give. My goal is to change their perception of foreigners and tourists and make them know that I want to share in the experience by giving them something in return and not just buying souvenirs or looking at the tourist destinations.
I didn't understand 80% of locals' responses, but it is amazing how far a smile and a laugh can go. I've noticed that putting in the effort to communicate fosters different interactions than if you don't understand what they're saying or what the signs say. Locals give you more respect and are more helpful, in a more human way instead of a greedy ("give me more money") way. I did get scammed, but that's a story for another day...
The typical conversation flow was as follows:
- ME: Marhaban, izayik (hello, how are you?)
- THEM in Arabic: Good, thanks, how are you?
- ME: Ana kweis (I'm good)
- THEM in Arabic: You speak Arabic?
- ME: Nos o nos (more or less)
- THEM in Arabic: Where are you from?
- ME: Min Amrika (I'm from America)
Before I left I always thanked them with "shukran gazeelan" which solidified the interaction.
What To Learn For Your Trip
You don't need to learn the whole language - just the basics will suffice.
- Greetings and Basic Expressions:
- Hello
- Goodbye
- Please
- Thank you
- Yes
- No
- Excuse me
- Sorry
- Introductions:
- My name is...
- What is your name?
- Nice to meet you
- Navigation:
- Where is...? (e.g., Where is the bathroom? Where is the train station?)
- Directions (left, right, straight ahead)
- How much is the fare?
- How do I get to...?
- Food and Dining:
- Menu items (e.g., water, bread, meat, vegetarian, etc.)
- Ordering food and drinks
- Numbers and Money:
- Numbers (1-10, 10-100)
- How much does it cost?
- Can I pay with credit card/cash?
Try saying hi to someone in their language whether it's in your town or across the world. Watch as their face lights up :)