2 of 8

Write now Article Tools

I was in a taxi a few weeks ago - as is usual with Scottish railways, a series of trains had been cancelled without warning or explanation and a bunch of stranded passengers clubbed together to get where we needed to be. One of my co-travellers was an Italian lady who took a call on her mobile and immediately asked her interlocutor if they could converse in French, presumably so that no-one else would understand. Tempted as I was, when she hung up, to say 'il ne valait pas la peine', I decided to keep my multilingual eavesdropping to myself.

Speaking a language no-one around you understands allows you to discuss things secretly, with the downside that it marks you out immediately as a foreigner and an easy target for scammers and pickpockets.

A friend of mine found an ingenious way around this. She and her mother became proficient in British sign language so that, as long as they could see each other, they could have a conversation with minimal risk of being 'overheard'. It allowed them to discuss, for instance, a film in progress without disturbing anyone around them. It allowed them to insult the loud diner at the next table without her noticing. In short, it kept their conversations private and unobtrusive.

It is, however, a little rude to have discussions in one language when the lingua franca is another, especially if you can speak the common language. There is a tendency to interpret the incomprehensible in the worst possible way. It's always polite to at least try to speak a little of the local language.

Learn more about this author, Colin Beveridge.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.

Add your voice

Know something about The benefits of conversing in a foreign tongue unknown to native speakers?
We want to hear your view. Write now!