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Decades ago, when I was hitchhiking around the world (OK, yes, some buses and ships too), I would exchange handwritten phrase lists with other travelers making their way in the opposite direction. Hello, thank you, excuse me, where, how much.<\/em> You can communicate a lot with those, some gestures, showing fingers for numbers, pointing for direction, things like that.\n<\/a><\/p>\n
In Transparent Language Online<\/a> and Rapid Rote<\/a>, we’ve shown many times that basic words and phrases can be learned, including pronunciation, in about one minute per item. Hello<\/em>. That\u2019s one minute. Thank you. Excuse me. Where? How much?<\/em> Five minutes.<\/p>\n Obviously, greater mastery of a language takes longer. I\u2019m familiar with one language proficiency scale in which level 2 is labeled \u201cLimited Professional Proficiency.\u201d At this level, someone is expected to be able to converse socially and handle most workplace interactions successfully to a limited extent. How long does that take? One prominent language school estimates that for a relatively easy language, such as Italian, achieving Limited Professional Proficiency might require 750 classroom hours. For a more difficult language, such as Chinese or Arabic, reaching the same level of proficiency might require 1,800 classroom hours.<\/p>\n But here\u2019s the thing. People who enjoy languages spend their entire lives getting better and learning more. Certainly no one I know has ever learned all of the English language. We\u2019re all still working on it. Think of yourself as a user and learner of your chosen language, and you\u2019re just like everyone else.<\/p>\n You never finish learning a language. But how long does it take to learn enough of another language to make a difference? Five minutes. A word or two can prompt a smile, make a sale, help you find your way, and bridge distrust.<\/p>\n With hello<\/em> and thank you<\/em> mastered, you now know more of your chosen next language than most people on earth. After that, it\u2019s just about having fun and getting a little better at it every day.<\/p>\n – Michael Quinlan, CEO, Transparent Language, Inc.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Communication doesn’t have to mean a long and intense discussion.\u00a0 Just knowing how to say \u201chello\u201d and \u201cthank you\u201d in another person\u2019s language can completely change your relationship with that person. Decades ago, when I was hitchhiking around the world (OK, yes, some buses and ships too), I would exchange handwritten phrase lists with other…<\/p>\n![\"how](\"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/language-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/28\/2013\/08\/phrasebook.jpg\")