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@MinaKamino's advice above is very good. It is important to let the other person adjust to you. You can both take a breath and focus on the other, before you blurt out your important statement or question. Making a casual comment is a good way to help you relax, as well as to make a personal contact.I first said hello, giving them time to adjust to my voice, then I said this is .. from..... and then the frase that I had prepared it has been a long time since I spoke French and this may become complicated.
I can relate to that. But it's really a matter of biting the bullet. Yes your will feel a bit foolish. But people are very sympathetic generally. I muddle through in French, Italian and Spanish. I usually travel off peak and by myself. It has added enormously to the enjoyment. I've just walked through Albania and North Macedonia and Greece from Bari. I learned a few basic sentences and get people to teach me as I go along. TimI have rather a phobia and to some extent it's hampering me on my caminos.
My phobia is speaking foreign languages on the phone, such as is required if you want to ring and book a room. To a lesser extent I get it when speaking face-to-face, asking directions. I get easily flustered and start to feel really embarrassed at my sub-high-school level Spanish or French. I almost always avoid doing it, if there's anyone else about who is prepared to make the phone call for me.
I think at its heart it's a phobia of making a fool of myself, and for as long as I can remember I've carried this idea that to try to speak a language and fail to be understood, or worse, to make dumb mistakes, is extremely embarrassing.
Can anyone else relate to this? How have you coped with or overcome this?
Find someone who will rehearse a call with you - a Spanish pilgrim on the road or someone who will run through a dialogue or two with you, like this. Rehearse once or twice and then bite the bullet and make the call:I think at its heart it's a phobia of making a fool of myself
Totally. And I have no good solution except to dive in. Which is definiely not easy. The good thing is that no matter how badly you mangle the language, you'll likely never see the people again.Can anyone else relate to this?
I have since adopted the approach of writing out my text, then speaking slowly
Yep, but I find the Spanish more patient, (than the French, I still shudder from that experience). Trouble is I can practice what I say - I cant predict and normally cant understand the answer.I have rather a phobia and to some extent it's hampering me on my caminos.
My phobia is speaking foreign languages on the phone, such as is required if you want to ring and book a room. To a lesser extent I get it when speaking face-to-face, asking directions. I get easily flustered and start to feel really embarrassed at my sub-high-school level Spanish or French. I almost always avoid doing it, if there's anyone else about who is prepared to make the phone call for me.
I think at its heart it's a phobia of making a fool of myself, and for as long as I can remember I've carried this idea that to try to speak a language and fail to be understood, or worse, to make dumb mistakes, is extremely embarrassing.
Can anyone else relate to this? How have you coped with or overcome this?
Yes of course, it is the hardest, speaking on the phone. You are not alone.I have rather a phobia and to some extent it's hampering me on my caminos.
My phobia is speaking foreign languages on the phone, such as is required if you want to ring and book a room. To a lesser extent I get it when speaking face-to-face, asking directions. I get easily flustered and start to feel really embarrassed at my sub-high-school level Spanish or French. I almost always avoid doing it, if there's anyone else about who is prepared to make the phone call for me.
I think at its heart it's a phobia of making a fool of myself, and for as long as I can remember I've carried this idea that to try to speak a language and fail to be understood, or worse, to make dumb mistakes, is extremely embarrassing.
Can anyone else relate to this? How have you coped with or overcome this?
Indeed, join the club! I prepare in the relevant language : "Excuse me but I don't speak Spanish/Italian/whatever well, please be patient." if face to face, eye contact and a self-deprecatory smile.I have rather a phobia and to some extent it's hampering me on my caminos.
My phobia is speaking foreign languages on the phone, such as is required if you want to ring and book a room. To a lesser extent I get it when speaking face-to-face, asking directions. I get easily flustered and start to feel really embarrassed at my sub-high-school level Spanish or French. I almost always avoid doing it, if there's anyone else about who is prepared to make the phone call for me.
I think at its heart it's a phobia of making a fool of myself, and for as long as I can remember I've carried this idea that to try to speak a language and fail to be understood, or worse, to make dumb mistakes, is extremely embarrassing.
Can anyone else relate to this? How have you coped with or overcome this?
You are so lucky to speak some Spanish and French! I think on the Camino people are happy just to see you making an effort. Many people speak some English and most quickly work out if your Spanish or French is not good enough and switch to some sort of English. Buen Camino.I have rather a phobia and to some extent it's hampering me on my caminos.
My phobia is speaking foreign languages on the phone, such as is required if you want to ring and book a room. To a lesser extent I get it when speaking face-to-face, asking directions. I get easily flustered and start to feel really embarrassed at my sub-high-school level Spanish or French. I almost always avoid doing it, if there's anyone else about who is prepared to make the phone call for me.
I think at its heart it's a phobia of making a fool of myself, and for as long as I can remember I've carried this idea that to try to speak a language and fail to be understood, or worse, to make dumb mistakes, is extremely embarrassing.
Can anyone else relate to this? How have you coped with or overcome this?
I taught high school Spanish for 35I have rather a phobia and to some extent it's hampering me on my caminos.
My phobia is speaking foreign languages on the phone, such as is required if you want to ring and book a room. To a lesser extent I get it when speaking face-to-face, asking directions. I get easily flustered and start to feel really embarrassed at my sub-high-school level Spanish or French. I almost always avoid doing it, if there's anyone else about who is prepared to make the phone call for me.
I think at its heart it's a phobia of making a fool of myself, and for as long as I can remember I've carried this idea that to try to speak a language and fail to be understood, or worse, to make dumb mistakes, is extremely embarrassing.
Can anyone else relate to this? How have you coped with or overcome this?
I taught high- school Spanish for 35 years and I still get the heebie jeebies when I have to talk on the phone. Much easier face to face.I have rather a phobia and to some extent it's hampering me on my caminos.
My phobia is speaking foreign languages on the phone, such as is required if you want to ring and book a room. To a lesser extent I get it when speaking face-to-face, asking directions. I get easily flustered and start to feel really embarrassed at my sub-high-school level Spanish or French. I almost always avoid doing it, if there's anyone else about who is prepared to make the phone call for me.
I think at its heart it's a phobia of making a fool of myself, and for as long as I can remember I've carried this idea that to try to speak a language and fail to be understood, or worse, to make dumb mistakes, is extremely embarrassing.
Can anyone else relate to this? How have you coped with or overcome this?
Indeed, join the club! I prepare in the relevant language : "Excuse me but I don't speak Spanish/Italian/whatever well, please be patient." if face to face, eye contact and a self-deprecatory smile.
I quite understand your worry, I also find it a lot more complicated to speak on the phone.I have rather a phobia and to some extent it's hampering me on my caminos.
My phobia is speaking foreign languages on the phone, such as is required if you want to ring and book a room. To a lesser extent I get it when speaking face-to-face, asking directions. I get easily flustered and start to feel really embarrassed at my sub-high-school level Spanish or French. I almost always avoid doing it, if there's anyone else about who is prepared to make the phone call for me.
I think at its heart it's a phobia of making a fool of myself, and for as long as I can remember I've carried this idea that to try to speak a language and fail to be understood, or worse, to make dumb mistakes, is extremely embarrassing.
Can anyone else relate to this? How have you coped with or overcome this?
Thanks, yes. It's reassuring to know I can try that if nothing else. Just have to overcome the awkward 30 seconds where I whip out my phone and point to it to try and get them to speak into it ;-)Don't know if you have a smart phone but I found the google translate app very useful last year. It has a conversation mode where you speak in English and it translates and reads out what you want to say in the other language and then switches and reads out the response in English.
Well said! I never thought of it quite that way, but you're absolutely right. The worse we speak, the more accommodating and sympathetic the listener. I know the moment I sat "Buenos dios," the listener knows I don't have a clue how to speak Spanish. They generally go out of their way to help me out... same as I would happily do were the situation reversed. But I never thought of it in terms of scale. Lots of fun. I'll keep this in mind.Here is how I have reduced my self consciousness regarding my poor language skill. Let's say on a scale of 1 to 10, 10 is fluent and 1 means you know a few words but can't really build a sentence. If your skill level is in the lower third (levels 1 to 3, where I reside), within a few seconds of opening your mouth, if not sooner, the native speaker will immediately realize how incompetent you are. The thought of judging your language skills will immediately be discarded from their thinking. Where does one start when criticizing the skill of a beginner, it's hardly worth a thought about it and thus it is no fun to do as self entertainment. So the whole judgement thing is over and done within a few seconds. Since your ineptitude is blatantly obvious, instead of judgement, the average native speaker will instead focus on interpreting your tortured assemblage of mispronounced words. You will be much more likely to receive sympathy or a bit of humor from the native speaker than negativity and criticism of your self evident language problem.
If your language proficiency is in the 7 - 9 level, you will be held to a completely different standard. So much of your Spanish will be good but the native speaker will think, why are you making all these little mistakes? You seem to have a good grip on it but why so sloppy, are you not even trying? I think the knee jerk reaction is you are judged, analyzed and criticized (silently) to a greater degree the more proficient you are.
This self rationalization / delusion, may not make any sense to any of you but it works for me.
I have rather a phobia and to some extent it's hampering me on my caminos.
My phobia is speaking foreign languages on the phone, such as is required if you want to ring and book a room. To a lesser extent I get it when speaking face-to-face, asking directions. I get easily flustered and start to feel really embarrassed at my sub-high-school level Spanish or French. I almost always avoid doing it, if there's anyone else about who is prepared to make the phone call for me.
I think at its heart it's a phobia of making a fool of myself, and for as long as I can remember I've carried this idea that to try to speak a language and fail to be understood, or worse, to make dumb mistakes, is extremely embarrassing.
Can anyone else relate to this? How have you coped with or overcome this?
Not sure what you're trying to add with that.Spanish isn’t a foreign language in Spain.
Oh I can feel with you, I had the same when I started my "camino career"
The first challenge was France. My French lessons at school ended after one year, and that was 1982. And my Camino in France was 2007 - so much later We were travelling by bike with four men and I was the only one who was able to communicate in any foreign language.
The Germans have the prejudice against the French that they refuse to speak a foreign language in their own country. The visitors should speak French. But it was N O T H I N G L I K E T H I S.
I am anything but shy and so I approached people with my few keywords.
"Bonjour madam/monsieur, je ne parle pas français, pelerins de Saint Jacques, une question s'il vous plaît, direction......?"
The problem was to understand the answerI could understand only left, right, straight ahead, church, bridge
But the french where very helpfull. Fantastic
As you said, another thing is a phone call. For Spain I wrote down a few phrases and normally it works quite well.
"Hola, me llamo Michael. Por favor es posible una reservación para hoy (today) or manana (tommorow)? Dos peregrinos, una habitación con dos camas."
Its not perfect grammar, but the important parts are in.
And if you say in your well prepard first sentense all the important information for the people, they will not ask so much, because that would be also for me the end of the conversation
Normally the owner of the Albergue ask only if I need two single beds or a "matrimonial" (double bed) and where I´m from.
We all learn far too much grammar and far too little speaking in foreign language classes. As a German, I don't care if a visitor masters our complicated articles and cases, but I am happy if he tries to get into conversation with me.
Try it on your next camino with a spanish speaker by your side and you will get better and better with every phone call.
Every try will open the heart of the local people.
Talking on the phone in a language other than your mother tongue is probably the most challenging form of communication in another language. It took me a couple weeks to try it on the Via Francigena, but the need for a place to sleep trumps feeling embarrassed. Some tips: 1) greet, 2) ask it is the place you think it is, 3) tell them you are a pilgrim, 4) ask if they have a bed for the night or tomorrow, 5) tell them your name; spell it if necessary, 6) repeat as necessary, 7) confirm what you think you understood, 8) thank and goodbye. None of the language needs to be elaborate. You will make mistakes as any language learner will (i.e. young children). Control the conversation, that is you ask the questions. If you let an unsympathetic native speaker control the conversation, you probably won't understand much. I had Spanish in high school in 1966 but managed just fine reserving a bunk every night on the Norte and Primitivo in 2018. Good luck.I have rather a phobia and to some extent it's hampering me on my caminos.
My phobia is speaking foreign languages on the phone, such as is required if you want to ring and book a room. To a lesser extent I get it when speaking face-to-face, asking directions. I get easily flustered and start to feel really embarrassed at my sub-high-school level Spanish or French. I almost always avoid doing it, if there's anyone else about who is prepared to make the phone call for me.
I think at its heart it's a phobia of making a fool of myself, and for as long as I can remember I've carried this idea that to try to speak a language and fail to be understood, or worse, to make dumb mistakes, is extremely embarrassing.
Can anyone else relate to this? How have you coped with or overcome this?
You're laughing with, not AT me...right?
It's all good!I'm laughing because the people I TRY to influence ignore me, yet I have the ability to transform the lives of complete strangers!
I have rather a phobia and to some extent it's hampering me on my caminos.
My phobia is speaking foreign languages on the phone, such as is required if you want to ring and book a room. To a lesser extent I get it when speaking face-to-face, asking directions. I get easily flustered and start to feel really embarrassed at my sub-high-school level Spanish or French. I almost always avoid doing it, if there's anyone else about who is prepared to make the phone call for me.
I think at its heart it's a phobia of making a fool of myself, and for as long as I can remember I've carried this idea that to try to speak a language and fail to be understood, or worse, to make dumb mistakes, is extremely embarrassing.
Can anyone else relate to this? How have you coped with or overcome this?
I have rather a phobia and to some extent it's hampering me on my caminos.
My phobia is speaking foreign languages on the phone, such as is required if you want to ring and book a room. To a lesser extent I get it when speaking face-to-face, asking directions. I get easily flustered and start to feel really embarrassed at my sub-high-school level Spanish or French. I almost always avoid doing it, if there's anyone else about who is prepared to make the phone call for me.
I think at its heart it's a phobia of making a fool of myself, and for as long as I can remember I've carried this idea that to try to speak a language and fail to be understood, or worse, to make dumb mistakes, is extremely embarrassing.
Can anyone else relate to this? How have you coped with or overcome this?
I had my best Duolingo Spanish , and a few hours listening to audio recordings under my belt, so I used Google translate to rough up a few sentences which I would read out ..requesting a bed for "esta noche". I also started with "me llama .."and a Spanish version of my first name..which helped immensely. Often the kind host would slow down and use just a few key words clearly annunciated , and hopefully say "Si" a lot. When I would arrive at the accommodation I was usually met with a wide smile.
The phone however wasn't my most daunting task. The fun really started in the hairdressers where I wanted a cut and colour. After talking about grey hair roots (I think ....though It could have been Greasy Hair) we both decided to brave it! Things took a worrying turn when she asked me did I want a "mask". I looked that up and found she was not about to blindfold me but wanted to offer a conditioner. Later after much hilarity and passing the phone and Translate app around the shop the end result was better than the version at home
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