March 20th, 2004 | The lowdown by Rhonda Van Hasselt

Travel Talk.

Americans are ever so fortunate that English happens to be the universal language and that many people who deal with tourists in East Asia know at least a little English to answer our questions.

Nevertheless, even if local vendors in countries such as Hong Kong, Thailand, and India, speak a little English, I am ever astounded by American tourists who overestimate the extent to which locals can speak English. Very often I have witnessed an American tourist ask locals basic questions by speaking quickly and using long sentences, which only confuses locals and frustrates tourists. In my wanderings, I have discovered that certain techniques enable one to actually communicate quite a bit to locals who speak very little English.

First, speak slowly and clearly. This does not mean speaking very loudly and at so slow a rate as to be condescending. Rather, the goal here is to articulate your words clearly so that you can be understood and show respect to the person you have approached. We all know from our high school Spanish language classes that we can only understand our teacher if she speaks clearly and slowly, but we can hardly dare comprehend the rapid-fire dialogue on Spanish television.

Second, abandon any notion of using complete sentences, and rely on exaggerated body gestures and key words instead. Locals who know only a few words of English can not always understand long phrases like, "Where is the bathroom?" Or, "I'm trying to find the bathroom. Can you show me where it is?" I heard one tourist say, "I'm really frustrated and I can't figure out where on earth the bathroom is!" In this instance, the word 'bathroom' should be replaced with 'toilet' because the word 'bathroom' is unique to American English whereas 'toilet' is used by Americans, Canadians, the British, and so on, and it is more well known by locals. Therefore, if you need to find the toilet, simply approach the local person, shrug your shoulders, keep a confused expression on your face, and say, 'Toilet?' The vast majority of the time, the local understood my meaning and was able to direct me to the nearest facility.

Body gestures and one word phrases are essential towards effective communication. The most important words I use when traveling are: toilet, yes/no, hello, bye bye, thanks, airport, bus, taxi, and "how much?" Anything more complicated and I use body gestures. Some important body gestures to note are: Pointing to your mouth when referring to food, pointing to your empty water bottle when you need to buy a new one or get your old one refilled, tilting your head to the side and closing your eyes in mock imitation of sleep to inquire about a hotel room, shaking or nodding your head vigorously to convey yes or no to something, and waving both hands frantically when you do not want to be bothered by a tout or when you do not want a transaction to take place.

Third, asking for directions may seem more difficult, but it can be done effectively. For instance, if you are asking a local to tell you how to get to Khoasun road, shrug your shoulders and say "Khaoson road?" If he speaks to you in his own language and you cannot understand, simply point in given direction. Often the local will take the hint and instead of speaking, will point in the direction he thinks you should take.

Finally, always remember the power that a smile has in putting people at ease and that deeply nodding one's head is a good way of conveying thanks. These tricks are very simple and locals will appreciate that you do not force them to decipher your long English sentences.