Learn the lingo!

RECENT survey results highlight the plight of Britons abroad, with almost half being left embarrassed by their poor language skills on holiday. While the overwhelming majority think it is important to learn key words and phrases before go abroad, the anxiety of having to speak in a foreign tongue and the assumption that the locals will speak English as a second language anyway is contributing to an unwillingness to learn.

The situation is costly, says Thomson Holidays, causing Britons to overspend by an average of £50 per holiday (£17.21 billion as a nation annually) due to errors in communication. It also acts as a deterrent, with 19% of UK residents saying they actively avoid locations in which they think English won’t be spoken adequately.

To save holidaymakers money and in an effort to reduce the anxiety of those worried about making embarrassing mistakes abroad, the Thomson Lakes and Mountains has created an online quiz to arm users with the key phrases they need, in Italian, German, French, and Slovene.

Vicky Hales, the company’s customer engagement director says: ‘Our interactive quiz aims to help users test their abilities and give language learning a go.’

To try the quiz, go to www.thomsonlakes.co.uk/langwhich

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