There are lots of tourists bravely walking around chattering in all the languages of the world. English is the predominant means of communication, if you want to ask a question or someone asks you for directions, it is most often done in English. Receptionists, waiters, tour guides, drivers, shop assistants speak English. Naturally all the participants of our huge conference, at which I am only an accompanying person, speak the same lingo. There are plenty of opportunities to communicate, to learn, to practice and to observe. It never amazes me to watch how people from different countries speak with each other, their accents never being in the way of understanding, of the information exchange, of establishing new contacts. What I also love doing while visiting another country is teaching myself. Prior to coming here I read a lot about this lovely city on the web, and marked several places of interest I wanted to see. I carefully read all the street signs, so that I can ask about Karlov Most, not Charles Bridge, for instance. When I enter any place, I can hear the locals say Ahoj to each other. If I say Hello or Halo, I am understood. Greeting people in heir own language is simply more polite. Many words I read coincide with or are recognizable by the Slavic roots which are the same in my native language. They are pronounced differently. Many words sound totally strange. This is probably learning at its best, just picking up the language right outside, in the street. There are plenty of bookshops with good selections of books in English, and there are always some customers buying them or browsing around. I have seen several language schools, and was tempted to wave at the familiar EF, English first -Education First school sign. There are lots of British magazines in kiosks. It shows me that there is a great interest and a need to study English, to use it in many professions.
Nina MK, Ph.D.