Importance of knowing English for a tourist

Being a tourist and seeing new places is among the most amazing things people can do for fun, but there are certain things that might hinder one from having a good time. Not knowing the language of the place you visit or excessively using sign language might be a tiresome experience. Fortunately, knowing some basic English language terms might help in just about any corners of the world.

So, you are visiting a foreign country, where a language different from your mother tongue is spoken. What you really need to know in the language of the country that you visit are just a few terms, and you need to know these just to make sure you have a good time.

First of all, make sure you know how to ask for directions (unless you have a perfect sense of orientation and a good map). Simple 'Could you tell me where the... is/are?'(in English or the native language) can solve many orientation issues and save you a lot of time and stress which is not desired while you are on holiday.

Next up in the top most needed terms in a foreign country that you visit would be food related words. When you visit a new country, you will surely have to eat out from time to time (unless you want to experience the supermarket food solely). As you might probably know, not all restaurants have pictures and a comprehensive menu, so it might help to be able to ask about the ingredients of certain foods or else you might end up eating all sorts of cuisine specificities that might not agree with your stomach or culinary beliefs. It's also good to know how to ask for coffee, beer and drinks, desert or the bill. Lines such as: 'Do you serve any coffee/ beer?', 'Can I have some..., please?' or 'Can I have the bill, please' should be enough.

Having had a copious meal and some drinks will surely require a restroom, so ask "Where's the restroom/toilet?" and your problem shall be solved.

Last but not least, being in a different place might inspire you the courage to go and try your flirting skills. So, you might also need to know some pick up lines. The offer for pick up lines is generous, it's up to you which ones you use, but make sure these pick up lines are reasonable enough, otherwise you might end up considering that the cultural differences between your country and the one you visit are huge.

In conclusion, knowing a few lines in the language of the visited country or English might help you get around in a foreign place. However, if you want to go for the bull's-eye, you should try your skills at learning a few lines in the language of the people you are visiting. In this respect, there are many online translator web sites that can help you with useful terms so make use of them to make your trip more enjoyable.