La importancia del Inglés en Vacaciones

Important English for holidays

• Whether you are a complete beginner in English or you have studied to quite a high level, travelling to an English speaking country can be quite a daunting task because you know that when you get there you could be surrounded by an accent completely different to that of the teacher who taught you the language.
• Besides the accent that you may need to get used to, there is also the small matter of colloquial language. Depending on where you go in the world, it dictates what phraseology you will here. For example, if you go to my hometown, Dublin, Ireland, the phrase «how´s it going?» means «how are you?» So it´s no wonder that some people are anxious before setting off to a foreing country, even if they have already studied the language which is spoken there.
• The one question that any holidaymakers need to ask themselves before going away is «what are the key phrases that I need in order to survive in this country?» The answer to this question depends on each individual and the nature of their trip but for the most part everybody should be equipped with the basic words and phrases that are commonly needed when on holiday or business abroad.
• Imagine you arrive at the airport and after collecting your bags you go in search of a taxi rank in order to take a cab to get to your hotel, but you can´t find the rank. What do you do? The easy answer to this question is you either look for a sign that says taxi or you ask someone. However, most people with little or no English may find it difficult to even form this type of question correctly. The best thing to do is approach someone and ask «can you tell me where the taxi rank is, please?» Always finish a request with the word please as it is important to be polite, especially when you are asking somebody to do something for you.

• Now you are in the taxi and the driver doesn´t realize that you are not a native English speaker. He says «how´s it going? Where to mate?» In other words he is greeting you by asking you how you are and he wants to know where you want to go. Tell him «I would like to go to The Grand Hotel» or whatever the name of your hotel is.
• At the reception you should greet the person behind the desk with something such as «Hi, I´m John Brown. I would like to check in. I have a reservation here from today until the 26th«, after which they will check your details and probably ask you for your passport. If everything is okay they will check you into the hotel, tell you the number of your room and then they will give you your keys and wish you «a pleasant stay» at the hotel.
• It is also important at this time to ask the recepcionist any important details about the hotel and its policies. For example, «what time is check-out?» or «what time does the hotel open or close?» Obviously most big hotels these days will stay open through the night but it is always a good idea to make sure of this before going out for the night.
• One of the biggest problems that tourists have is trying to find their way around. In this case you should always be aware of the road signs and if you feel the need to ask somebody for directions then you can ask «could you tell me how to get to London Road?» or «where is Fleet Street from here?». Always listen carefully when the person is giving you directions as this can be quite difficult to understand. Remember that most people in the street will treat you like a native so it´s important to keep your ears open and alert.
• Some typical directions are «it´s straight down this street and you take the second right» or «if you go left on Silver Street, take the second left off Silver Street and it´s the next street on your right«.
• With these directions there are a lot of words within, however the essential information is in the prepositions, straight ahead, second left, first right etc… So even if you don´t understand everything that someone has just said try to catch words like right, left, on the corner of etc…
• One of the nicest parts of holidaying abroad is visiting bars and restaurants. Here we get to experience and taste different cultures and cuisines. If you are in a bar and would like to order a drink just ask the barman or barmaid «can I have a pint of beer when you are ready, please?» or «when you are ready, could you give me a glass of red wine and two bottles of lager, please?»

• In a restaurant ask the waitor or waitress to «see the menu» and order from it using the names you see. When you are finished the meal and would like to leave, just call the waitor and ask for «the bill, please.» Remember to check the bill to see how much the ‘service charge‘ is. For this reason it is important to familiarise yourself with numbers before you go on holiday, as it is essential that you know how much everything costs and how to tell the time of day. If you don´t have a watch or a mobile phone with you and you need to find out what time it is, just ask somebody «do you have the time, please?»
• Another important thing to understand is the meanings of different signs such as ‘no entry’, ‘smoking is not permitted’, ‘keep off the grass’, ‘please don´t touch items on display’ etc…
• With all of these useful phrases and terminology you should find it much easier as you enjoy your holiday or business trip abroad.

G. Harman