Unabashed Brits willing to give the language a go

Tuesday, 2 November 2010 5:01 PM

Embarrassment doesn’t seem to be a factor for most Brits abroad, with the majority willing to give the local language a go, even if they don’t have the vocabulary to avoid making fools of themselves.

A recent survey by Owners Direct shows that 70.7 per cent of Brits are willing to try speaking Spanish abroad, with over half (57.3 per cent) exercising their French speaking skills.

Survey respondents freely admitted to several linguistic blunders, including one holiday maker who asked for her “head baked Al Forno” when asking for a hairdryer, whilst another said “je suis plein” after a large French meal, which actually means “I am pregnant”.

The main thing that puts people off speaking a foreign language abroad is not fear of getting it wrong, though.

More than half (52 per cent) of respondents said lack of knowledge is the main barrier and 37 per cent said they didn’t bother because English is widely spoken. Only 15 per cent said they were worried about embarrassing themselves.
 

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