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Questions tagged [english-language]

The use of English in countries and regions where it is not an official language. English language has two other sites in the Stack Exchange network: English Language & Usage and English Language Learners.

Total users in all countries: 942,533,930.

27 questions
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5 answers

Will I be able to travel around India speaking only English?

I am to travel around some Indian cities: Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore and others. Will I have trouble speaking only English, or should I learn some phrases in Hindi?
fredley
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6 answers

What's the best way to signal that I'd prefer to be served in English?

I'm traveling in an area where bilingualism - specifically, English - is extremely common. As in, I'm yet to meet someone who doesn't speak pretty good English in the two months I've spent here (across many trips). This is a lifesaver, because I…
LessPop_MoreFizz
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As we are all adults here, how do I politely indicate that I need the toilet?

I am from an area where people just say they need the loo to pee or poo. In formal situations, when meeting just strangers, we are a bit less open and call it 'need the toilet' but I know that in other countries they are a lot less open about…
Willeke
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9 answers

How to solve the language problem in Ankara, Turkey?

I will start studying my Master at Ankara, Turkey soon. I don't know the language and I receive strange behaviors when asking help in English: For example, I start with "Merhaba" ("Hello" in Turkish) to warm up the conversation then I ask in…
user41592
18
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3 answers

If I want to travel to Brazil, can I get by with English?

I do not speak Portuguese, and only enough Spanish not to starve. English is my second language, but my first, Dutch, will not be very useful. Will people in Brazil be able to communicate with me? I am willing to go down to a kind of sign language…
Willeke
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9 answers

Using English in Europe

I'm from the United States (born and raised) and have dual citizenship (Portugal). At some point, I want to spend time (more than just a vacation) in Europe. Linguistically, I feel confined to Portugal, Spain, France, Ireland, and (if I can improve…
Ben A.
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4 answers

English in Israel and Palestine

Seeing as Hebrew is a very tiny language, just like Swedish, are Israelis in general good at English, so a tourist like myself can make it? I've noticed that if the language is not used internationally that much, and the country doesn't dub English…
pimmen
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13
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1 answer

Do Estonians prefer English to Finnish?

When interacting with foreigners who are not able to speak Estonian, do the Estonians prefer Finnish to English? Does it depend on the area, e.g. is an Estonian more likely to be able to communicate in Finnish in e.g. Tallinn? For a Finnish tourist,…
mrm
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4 answers

What is the difference between folio and invoice in hotel management?

I was curious about the difference between folio and invoice in hotel management terms. Some hotel say invoice and others say folio. Are there difference?
Reynaldi
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13
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3 answers

How can I convert an address in Thailand from English to Thai?

How can I convert an address in Thailand from English to Thai? Motivations: give taxi drivers in Thailand the address in Thai send letters to an address in Thailand E.g from: 25 Condo SPN Place, 7th Floor, Room 708, Soi Ladprao 80, Intersection…
Franck Dernoncourt
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13
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6 answers

Going to France with limited French for a day

I am going to France (Toulouse) for a day in October. I will be landing at Toulouse–Blagnac Airport. (TLS). I would like to travel and look around the city. I have a limited knowledge of French from school. Is the transport well sign-posted in…
Daniil
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7 answers

English in Hong Kong

I might be going to a 3 week camp (it's not really a camp, it's more of an academic program) in Hong Kong. How many people (a lot, a few, only certain occupations, etc.) speak English, and do they speak Mandarin too? I don't know Cantonese.
Rajiv
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1 answer

Which accent of English is spoken on the British Virgin Islands?

We are looking forward to bringing our English to a new level and would therefore love to take a sabbatical in the Caribbean (namely on the British Virgin Islands). Which sort of English is spoken there? Is it American? British? A mixture? (We fell…
Jan
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2 answers

Should I try and use basic Italian when on holiday in Italy?

Wherever I go on holiday I always try to learn and use some basic keywords and phrases. As a minimum I look up things such as please, thank you, hello, good morning etc. I think it's polite and hotel/bar staff often seem to appreciate it and respond…
Notts90
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In which African countries is the least English spoken?

I am mostly working in IT these days, but I have great memories from a year I spent teaching English in a non-English-speaking region. (I'm a native speaker of American English with a CELTA certification.) I'm hoping to spend a year on hiatus doing…
Mayor of the Plattenbaus
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