Language app

[Wayfarer1]

I'm doing the Camino in May and June, and while I can't learn the language in that time I would like some key phrases (have you any water, where are the toilets etc) to show I've at least thought about it. I've downloaded Duolingo, but it's a little generic (my sister has 2 children, my house had 4 rooms) so I was wondering, other than Google translate, are there any language apps others have used where you can input and learn relevant phrases?

 

[trecile]

It's not an app, but the Spanish for the Camino site is a good place to start.

Spanish for the Camino

I help pilgrims learn the Spanish they need for their walk across Spain on the Camino de Santiago.

spanishforcamino.com

 

[henrythedog]

I find that DeepL has a more fluent translation than google translate.

I’d strongly recommend the ‘BBC get by in …’ series. 32 years ago my wife and I ‘got by’ in Portuguese for a few weeks when, at that time, the rural areas of northern Portugal were not remotely English-speaking.

For simple concepts of food, drink and accommodation in the present tense Spanish is fairly straightforward and any effort appreciated.

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

Throw in a few greetings in Euskadi/Basque. My friendly greetings in Spanish didn't do any magic.

 

[Theresa Brandon]

See if your local library provides access to the Mango App. I found it to be much more conversational than DuoLingo. I also like https://www.languagetransfer.org/

 

[trecile]

See if your local library provides access to the Mango App. I found it to be much more conversational than DuoLingo. I also like https://www.languagetransfer.org/

Language Transfer is fantastic.

 

[C clearly]

Forum member @sillydoll published a book called Camino Lingo, that is described in this thread. It is from 10 years ago, but the basic language hasn't changed much since then. It is available as a Kindle book from Amazon.

 

[Turga]

You can download the app "SayHi" on your phone, then you can have (simple) spoken phrases translated into Spanish.

 

[Theresa Brandon]

There are other apps with a similar name - look for SayHi Translate.

 

[woody66]

Language Transfer is fantastic.

I agree with trecile Language Transfer is so simple so brilliant give it a go!!!!
You just listen no notes,no writing anything down.

Learned more about Spanish language in an hour than i did in 12 weeks at evening class!
Woody

 

[MikeJS]

You can download the app "SayHi" on your phone, then you can have (simple) spoken phrases translated into Spanish.

Another vote for SayHi. You can (almost) have a conversation using this as it can translate the spoken word.

 

[pjacobi]

This question is why I always recommend that you should have some previous travel experience in Europe for before the Camino. You would have already learned how to handle this situation!

For starters, read this:

Leaping over Europe’s Language Barriers

www.ricksteves.com

-Paul

 

[C clearly]

I always recommend that you should have some previous travel experience in Europe for before the Camino... For starters, read this:

Is it important to do this practice run in French, or could it perhaps be done in Spanish for the first time?

 

[WGroleau]

Throw in a few greetings in Euskadi/Basque. My friendly greetings in Spanish didn't do any magic.

In contrast, as hospitalero, I checked in a pilgrim who in response to a "preferred language" vociferously informed me (in Spanish) that he was Basque, neither Spanish nor French. But when I gave him a booklet in Basque, he stared at it for a few seconds, handed it back, and said "French."

 

[pjacobi]

Is it important to do this practice run in French, or could it perhaps be done in Spanish for the first time?

For someone that has never travel independently to Europe, I would first start in London, then hop over to Paris. All the travel skills that you learn from this trip will be extremely useful for your Camino.

Some people travel with the motto, "I'll just ask somebody when I get there!" This is much harder to do when traveling to a country in your non-native language. In this case, you must come prepared with information that you have already researched prior to your trip. For example, you should not need to ask a local about the Paris Metro, you should have already studied the routes before traveling.


-Paul

 

[Robo]

Forum member @sillydoll published a book called Camino Lingo, that is described in this thread. It is from 10 years ago, but the basic language hasn't changed much since then. It is available as a Kindle book from Amazon.

Just bought it! What a great resource...

 

[dougfitz]

Is it important to do this practice run in French, or could it perhaps be done in Spanish for the first time?

Who can afford a practice run? And why, if it were a practice run, would you do it in some place that doesn't speak the language you would be using on the 'real thing'?

I recall responding to a previous suggestion of doing a practice run earlier this year along these lines:

No doubt you will learn things on your first travel experience, but I suspect that for many here, their Camino will be their first travel to Spain or Portugal, and they will have been saving for years to afford just that. They won't have time or the resources to do a preliminary trip just for practice.

My view remains unchanged. I don't think doing a practice run is a realistic prospect for many members.

 

[pjacobi]

How do you get to Carnegie Hall (Santiago)?

Practice!



-Paul

 

[C clearly]

How do you get to Carnegie Hall (Santiago)?

Practice!

Interesting analogy with the joke. Practice is one way - for a very few people. For the vast majority of us, practice will never get us there.

 

[IMLiege]

My son used Google Lens in restaurants along the northern route. It will translate to English or other language. Some of the translations are somewhat humerous but he said it was a big help. Install the app, start it up and use it to take a picture of the menu and you get a translation.

 

[victw]

As mentioned before, Google translate is dicey.
Deepl might be better but it doesn't work offline at all.

1) Languagetransfer - I think it's about 15 hours. This is a tremendous project - I can't recommend it highly enough for anyone really wanting to learn Spanish. Or any language.
2) Get the Spanish pronunciation trainer from fluentforever - it's 10 bucks - get a kid to help you set up anki if it's not intuitive to you.
3) Find some Spanish to listen to - dreaming Spanish is great.
4) Get a phrasebook - I bought Rick Steves. zero in on the phonetics - Don't read and think English - look at the phonetics.
5) Check out your library for some CDs on learning language - find one that jibes with you.
6) You can practice with google translate - it's decent for that.

You need to be listening and practicing speaking. If you encounter words or phrases that won't address your immediate needs, don't try to learn them.

Vic

 

[WGroleau]

Some people travel with the motto, "I'll just ask somebody when I get there!" This is much harder to do when traveling to a country in your non-native language. In this case, you must come prepared with information that you have already researched prior to your trip. For example, you should not need to ask a local about the Paris Metro, you should have already studied the routes before traveling.

So much more adventure in learning as you go.

 

[IMLiege]

My son and I traveled to Japan in 2012. I didn't know any Japanese and he could only read a few words here and there, after studying on his own for 2 years. On top of that, you can't really get a translation book because there really aren't any. They would have to be in Japanese. Our phone didn't work there because of the difference in technology. I could find an occasional WiFi hotspot (very rare at that time) and download a map of the area. We took a Garmin GPS but the battery didn't last very long (still NiCad batteries). There was no Google lens but the restaurants had windows in the front with plastic food of what they served. Remember the number and give it to the waiter.

We managed to get lost only a few times, not having enough money in a restaurant to pay our bill, getting on the wrong train and not knowing that they close the airports and train stations at about 11 PM. You have to leave, you just can't sit on a bench until morning. We had to find a place to stay. We found a police station where the officer in charge admonished us: "So! You come to Japan but you don't speak the language!". (He was trying to be funny.) But he was nice enough to point the way to a hotel where the desk clerk didn't speak English but called a someone who did and we were able to get a room for the night.

At a local restaurant we didn't have enough cash and they didn't take credit cards. Next to us there were 2 couples with one of the women speaking English. We had a nice visit with them and at the end the 4 of them took up a collection and paid the balance of our bill.

The next morning we were on the train back to Nagoya where you could always find someone who spoke English and there were signs in multiple languages to help you. We were there for 2 weeks, traveling by bullet train to many of the major cities and some of the small ones. We got off a regular train in the mountains and the station security person said to us..." No one here speaks English; no one". She was definitely right, except for the one girl with her friends who were in that town for the holiday; lucky us.

The moral of my story is this. You won't be comfortable if you don't speak the language where you are going. You may not even find someone in that area who does speak it. But there are good people where you will be, people willing to help you. Enjoy the adventure.

You will also gain some understanding for people visiting your country who don't speak your language. Be kind, try to find someone to help them if you cannot. Buy them a meal.

 

[Jan Jones]

I have spent a lot of time on Duolingo and I have learnt a lot of vocabulary for which I am very grateful. I have been to Spanish language classes and had some practice. I watch lots of Spanish movies and TV series with subtitles on and off. Most recently I discovered Coffee Break Spanish on Spotify- it’s a different way of learning but it’s been very useful.
I can understand a lot of written and slowly articulated Spanish but as soon as I hear someone speaking at normal speed I am lost. At the end of the day I think the immersion method is essential- some of the suggestions in this thread are very tempting. Thanks everyone.