Essential holiday phrases to help communicate with locals in popular resorts

A late summer rush to the sun is predicted this coming Bank Holiday weekend - despite ongoing travel restrictions and the UK Government's strict testing regime.

Independent travel company, Hays Travel, has recently seen a 193 per cent increase in foreign holiday bookings during the last two weeks - with some great money-saving deals available.

One of the greatest embarrassments felt by Britons abroad is the inability to use even a few words of the native language. For many tourists speaking English very slowly and more loudly is the limit of their language skills.

With countries such as Spain, France, Greece, Croatia and Portugal currently allowing travel, language specialist Preply has gathered some basic language translations for British tourists wanting to brush up on their conversation skills.

Here are some basic phrases that may help even the most linguistically-challenged during a trip to popular holiday destinations.

Language	Hello, how are you?
Spanish	Hola, como estas?
French	Bonjour, comment vas-tu?
Portuguese	Olá, como vai?
Croatian	Bok, kako si?
Greek	Geia pós eísai?

Language	Where is the restaurant?
Spanish	Dónde está el restaurante?
French	Où est le restaurant?
Portuguese	Onde é o restaurante?
Croatian	Gdje je restoran?
Greek	Pou eínai to estiatório?

Language	Please can I have ___
Spanish	Por favor puedo tener ___
French	S'il vous plaît, puis-je avoir ___
Portuguese	Por favor, posso ter ___
Croatian	Molim vas, mogu li ___
Greek	Boró na écho parakaló ___

Language	Can you help me?
Spanish	¿Me puedes ayudar?
French	Pouvez-vous m'aider?
Portuguese	Pode me ajudar?
Croatian	Možeš li mi pomoći?
Greek	Boreís na me voithíseis?

Language	Please can I have the bill?
Spanish	Por favor, ¿puedo tener la factura?
French	S'il vous plaît, puis-je avoir la facture?
Portuguese	Por favor, posso ficar com a conta?
Croatian	Mogu li dobiti račun?
Greek	Parakaló boró na écho ton logariasmó?

Top tips to learn a second language

Immerse yourself in the language

Become immersed in the language by listening to foreign films and music. As your language improves, start reading books in the language and use a dictionary to translate any words you don’t understand.

Make sure to study pronunciation

Many language learners can fixate on grammar and vocabulary, however, pronunciation is much more difficult to fix in the later stages of language learning. Make sure to practice pronunciation by impersonating other language speakers.

Practice speaking early

Many people fear speaking in another language due to embarrassment or saying something wrong, however, it’s easier to learn the language while you’re practising it. Try and have daily conversations in the language, or use speaking apps to help yourself learn.

Be consistent

The key to language learning is to stay motivated and keep going. It will be challenging at times, but worth the effort in the long run.

Make it fun

Language learning can and should be fun. Immersing yourself in a new culture and new possibilities will only open doors to new opportunities. You’ll make new friends and gain new experiences all through learning.

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