This is the one foreign phrase Brits have mastered for when they go abroad
If this approach fails, over half resort to pointing at menus, while nearly a quarter rely on exaggerated hand gestures or speaking English very slowly in the hope of being understood. But despite their best efforts, communication barriers often lead to complications, with a fifth spending more time than necessary trying to resolve simple issues.
One in ten confessed to mistakenly boarding the wrong train or bus due to a misunderstanding, or inadvertently ordering the wrong food or drink.
Navigating foreign restaurant menus appears to be a particular source of anxiety, with four in ten entering full panic mode if an English version is not available.
The research was conducted by Samsung to coincide with the launch of its Galaxy Z Flip7, which boasts an AI-powered Live Translate and Interpreter function.
This feature aims to assist users in translating phone calls in real time and overcoming language barriers when travelling.
The survey showed that the majority of Brits are embarrassed by their poor foreign language skills when abroad.
But to mask their lack of knowledge, a third have resorted to smiling and nodding in conversations, pretending to understand even when they are completely lost.
Moreover, one in five have tried to converse in the local language, only for the person they're speaking to reply in fluent English. This leaves them feeling embarrassed once again.
10 WAYS BRITS HAVE TRIED TO CHAT WITH LOCALS:
Pointed at items on a menu
Asked locals if they 'speak English?' before anything else
Said English words very slowly
Used dramatic hand gestures
Tried to mime what I was trying to say
Butchered basic phrases
Used translate apps
Mixed multiple languages together
Repeated the same phrase multiple times in different tones
Tried speaking louder in English, hoping it would help
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