Greetings from Nova Scotia! I've been trying to write this post for days but life in Hamilton got in the way (which will be one of the final "Some Things I Learned..." post).
Now onto language and what one might learn while on a long trip to a country with a different primary language. But first a small bit of background to help you understand where I'm coming from. Firstly, German is technically my first language. Secondly, I was bullied as a small child when I was learning English. I have, for years, beat myself up over the fact that I do not speak German fluently; it was only after realizing the second point that I understood (part of the reason) why as well as why I have a hard time speaking any language if I can't do it perfectly (as if!). This, of course, underscored our trip to Berlin.
Whenever anyone says to you, "Oh, you don't need to speak German/French/Italian/Insert Another Language Here in X, everyone speaks English," be a little suspect. Many friends who'd been to Berlin recently sang the same song, and even people we met who have lived in Berlin for many years asserted the same thing. I think it might hold true if you either a) stuck to the more tourist/shopping areas, b) lived in a neighborhood like Kreuzberg (lots of expats and hipsters), and/or c) you weren't overly concerned with being understood or understanding. A third point I should've added to the paragraph above is that being understood is VERY important to me - whether it's literally or emotionally or psychologically.
Now onto language and what one might learn while on a long trip to a country with a different primary language. But first a small bit of background to help you understand where I'm coming from. Firstly, German is technically my first language. Secondly, I was bullied as a small child when I was learning English. I have, for years, beat myself up over the fact that I do not speak German fluently; it was only after realizing the second point that I understood (part of the reason) why as well as why I have a hard time speaking any language if I can't do it perfectly (as if!). This, of course, underscored our trip to Berlin.
Whenever anyone says to you, "Oh, you don't need to speak German/French/Italian/Insert Another Language Here in X, everyone speaks English," be a little suspect. Many friends who'd been to Berlin recently sang the same song, and even people we met who have lived in Berlin for many years asserted the same thing. I think it might hold true if you either a) stuck to the more tourist/shopping areas, b) lived in a neighborhood like Kreuzberg (lots of expats and hipsters), and/or c) you weren't overly concerned with being understood or understanding. A third point I should've added to the paragraph above is that being understood is VERY important to me - whether it's literally or emotionally or psychologically.
