The Language Barrier Mistakes That Can Get You Detained
When James tried to report a theft in Barcelona, his mispronounced Spanish phrase made him accidentally confess to a hit-and-run accident. He spent 14 hours in a Spanish jail before an interpreter arrived.
I will never forget the look on the customs officer's face when I accidentally told him I was carrying explosives instead of chocolates in German. "Schokolade" and "Schockolade" do not sound that different when you are nervous and speaking quickly. He laughed it off, but I spent five minutes in that booth while he checked my bags and asked increasingly serious questions. It was terrifying. Now I double-check every important phrase before I travel anywhere.
Here is the scary truth. In many languages, a small mispronunciation completely changes the meaning of what you are saying. In Mandarin, mispronouncing a tone can turn "I need a doctor" into "I need a lawyer." In Arabic, the difference between asking for "help" and saying something offensive can be a single vowel mark that is rarely written.
Should you always try to communicate? No. Sometimes the smartest thing you can do is say nothing. In many countries, anything you say can and will be used against you in court. If you are detained for any reason, the first words out of your mouth should be "I need an interpreter" and "I need to contact my embassy." Repeat this until one arrives.
Did you know that in some cultures, pointing with your finger is considered rude? In many parts of Asia, pointing with your foot is offensive because feet are considered the lowest and dirtiest part of the body. In Greece, the "OK" hand sign is considered vulgar, equivalent to giving someone the middle finger in some contexts.
If you are detained by police in a foreign country, here is exactly what to do. First, stay calm. Do not run, do not argue, do not try to bribe your way out. Bribery is a serious crime in most countries and trying it as a foreigner will make everything dramatically worse. Second, ask for an interpreter immediately. Repeat this until one arrives. Third, ask to contact your embassy.
A study by Johns Hopkins found that medical errors due to language barriers contribute to thousands of preventable deaths annually. This is not a small problem. If you end up in a hospital where you do not speak the language, do not try to describe symptoms imprecisely. Learn the basic medical vocabulary before you travel.
Google Translate works offline if you download the language packs before you travel. Microsoft Translator has a feature where you can photograph a sign or document and get an instant translation. iTranslate has a voice mode that can help you have basic conversations. But here is the thing. These apps break. Batteries die. WiFi is not always available.