Language barrier

[frankp]

Having usually mongered in the PI I wonder if its possible to do Sousa without knowing any spanish. I have avoided Thailand for many years due to language barrier. Is it possible to do Sousa on English only?

[daddyooo]

Having usually mongered in the PI I wonder if its possible to do Sousa without knowing any spanish. I have avoided Thailand for many years due to language barrier. Is it possible to do Sousa on English only?




On my first solo trip to Sosua I only new enough Spanish to find a restroom and order a beer and I got along fine......you will too. But it can't hurt to learn a few basic phrases.

[husl2001]

Having usually mongered in the PI I wonder if its possible to do Sousa without knowing any spanish. I have avoided Thailand for many years due to language barrier. Is it possible to do Sousa on English only?

Sure, it's about the only spot down there where you don't need Spanish, BUT IT REALLY HELPS.

Even a little Spanish is appreciated. It's like foreigners visiting your home country. You don't expect them to be fluent, but learning a few words goes a long, long way.

See, if they realize you're making an extra effort, so will they. And you don't need to be able to recite "El ingenioso hidalgo don Quijote de la Mancha" to impress them.

The good news is, tourist-class Spanish is very easy to learn. If you can get a subject and verb out there (even if you screw the conjugation, which you will), they'll usually figure it out.

Grab a Spanish for Dummies book at Borders or Target and spend an hour a day going through the first couple chapters. If you do a chapter per hour per day, and repeat that for a week or so, you'll learn quite a bit. Also, get some post its, and write out the words for things and place them on the objects (like put mesa on the table, and so forth).

Be sure you learn how to count. Uno, diez, cien, and mil are all very important.

Also, I think Jimmy has a section on here for common phrases. They ain't hard to learn, but come in very handy. If not, google "spanish for tourists," or something like that.

Buy or borrow from the library a cheap spanish-english dictionary, and put the most used verbs on there (estar, ser, haber, hacer, querer, decir, ir, poder, beber and comer ought to be a good start)

Most of all smile, laugh, and be nice. A nice newbie will do a helluva lot better than a fluent jackass.

Have fun!

[frankp]

Great advice, and I will do that. Spent alot of years in the Philippines and now know a bit better than basic tagalog so maybe I ll pickup Spanish same way.

[jonblaze]

It's possible to have a great time with little or no spanish in Sosua. It's just a lot more fun the more you know.

[Jimmydr]

It's possible to have a great time with little or no spanish in Sosua. It's just a lot more fun the more you know.


Actually you won´t know that is wasn´t a great time until you start learning the language and realize how much more fun you are having.

[deep2001]

Actually you won´t know that is wasn´t a great time until you start learning the language and realize how much more fun you are having.

I had a great time in Sosua, and I only know a little bit of Spanish. You will be fine.

However, my trip revealed to me how much more better and colorful the trip would have been had I known more of the language. It would have really helped me get to know the chicas.

I know I'll be back next April and by then I hope to have a couple spanish courses offered at a language school here under my belt.

[hugrad95a]

http://fsi-language-courses.org/Content.php?page=Spanish

Your all welcome. lol

[damaja]

I had a great time in my one and only trip to Sosua. There were times when I wished I had a better grip on the Spanish language, but I could function for the most part with my limited Spanish ability.

My limited ability was not a problem when it came to picking up girls, but rather when I was trying to tell certain females that I was not interested. I actually had to get one of my friends who was with me (and spoke Spanish better) to explain the situation to them. I had a girl follow me all the way to the car as I was trying to tell her I didn't want her to come back with me as I was leaving Classicos.

Next time If anything, I will learn some phrases to help me in a situation like that before my next trip.

Like it was stated earlier, I felt that I could have had more fun if I knew the language better.

[hugrad95a]

You could say this next time.

"Senorita, Me voy a la discoteca solo esta noche. Voy a ahorrar un baile para usted.

Miss I am going to the disco alone to night. I will save one dance for you.

[GrandePadre]

I had a girl follow me all the way to the car as I was trying to tell her I didn't want her to come back with me as I was leaving Classicos.


I bet she knew. She was just being hard headed with you hoping you would give in.