Over the last few weeks I've been made to feel an ignorant English monoglot. After the Biathle World Championships I travelled with a group of six which consisted of an Egyptian, Portuguese, Frenchman, Serbian and one fellow English lady; they all spoke from two to five languages fluently. Thankfully for me the common language was English although three spoke excellent spanish which proved helpful for exploring Guatemala.
I know it is no excuse but at school I was not aware of the usefulness of a second language. I studied French and German to GCSE level and used these languages as an excuse to go skiing in France and on an exchange to Germany. The only problem was as soon as I opened my mouth in an attempt to speak the local language I'd be replied to in English. On returning from Guatemala I am more determined to learn a language and think I might have to start from scratch and try spanish. It will also give me the perfect excuse to visit South America.
I travelled straight from Central America to Croatia for the Hungarian National Sailing Championships. It will come as no surprise that again there was an eclectic mix of languages. I was crewing for a Hungarian friend on a Salona 38 yacht alongside one other Brit, an Algerian and two more Hungarians; one of which confusingly spoke English with a French accent. Thankfully english was the common language and this was all fine until we encountered the high pressure moments of racing when communications became our limiting factor. It is fair to say I learnt a few new Hungarian words although I'm not sure they will ever be appropriate for everyday use.
