Brits bid adieu to the once popular phrasebooks as poll reveals the language guides are becoming obsolete (and it’s all down to smartphones)
- More than 60% of 16 to 34-year-olds said they used smartphone apps on holiday
- Only 39% opted for a phrasebook, according to research by the British Council
- Poll found one in five said shoddy phone translations led to misunderstandings
It has made countless trips smoother for holidaymakers on foreign jaunts.
But the phrasebook is becoming obsolete, according to research by the British Council.
Its decline has accelerated due to the rising use of smartphone translation apps.
More than 60 per cent of 16 to 34-year-olds said they had used their smartphone apps to help boost their understanding of the local language while abroad – but only 39 per cent opted for a phrasebook, the Telegraph reported.
The poll of around 2,000 adults found that technology use had its downsides, with one in five of those aged 16 to 34 saying that shoddy phone translations had led to misunderstandings while abroad.
More than 60 per cent of 16 to 34-year-olds said they had used their smartphone apps to help boost their understanding of the local language while abroad – but only 39 per cent opted for a phrasebook (file photo)
It also found that for many boozy Britons the most important phrase to know is ‘Dos cervezas, por favor’, with more than one in four UK adults saying they learnt how to ask for two beers, or other drinks, in the local language.
‘Please’ and ‘Thank you’ the most common words learned by holidaymakers, followed by Hello’ and ‘Goodbye’ at 69 per cent.
But there are also signs that many Britons are simply learning how to express their lack of foreign language skills, with more than one in four teaching themselves to say ‘Do you speak English?’ and 16 per saying they learnt to say: ‘I’m sorry, I don’t speak the language.’
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Just over a fifth said they did not learn any words or phrases, despite three in four agreeing that it is important to learn a few phrases.
Vicky Gough, schools adviser at the British Council, said: ‘It’s fantastic that so many of us are ready to give foreign languages a go to make the most of our holidays, and smartphone technology can be a great first step in getting directions and basic information.
‘However, this technology has its limits and can’t replicate the linguistic and cultural nuances of conversation. It can lead to a whole new level of confusion with phrases lost in translation.’
She added that it’s worth learning a few phrases before going abroad as ‘nobody wants to be staring at their phone screen all holiday’.
The poll of around 2,000 adults found that technology use had its downsides, with one in five of those aged 16 to 34 saying that shoddy phone translations had led to misunderstandings while abroad (file photo)
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