Like to see added to ship activities

[basedow]

I would very much welcome foreign language classes added to Regent's programs. I love to get off ship and have at least an ability to speak some basic conversation with people.

 

Perhaps if there is a big demand Regent would consider this!

[OrpingtonT]

I would very much welcome foreign language classes added to Regent's programs. I love to get off ship and have at least an ability to speak some basic conversation with people.

 

Perhaps if there is a big demand Regent would consider this!

 

Reminds me of the time we took our 5 year old granddaughter to a cottage in Brittany, France. We told her that they speak a different language and she may not understand them. To which she replied "Oh, I'll learn that in the car on the way down there."

[Jymi-B]

Regent usually has Spanish lessons on their South America cruises and occasionally Portugese in there is a Brazilian in the social staff.

[newlondon]

Good luck learning even basics in the time available:confused:

[freddie]

I would have to agree with Newlondon that it is not too realistic to think that one can learn more than a half-dozen words/phrases in an hour or two of language instruction on the ship, particularly if the instructor is not a trained language teacher. The mere fact that someone is a native-speaker of a language does not remotely indicate that he/she can be an effective teacher of that language.

 

Like Basedow, I like to be able to have a few handy phrases at hand in the local lingo (i.e. "Hello", "Goodbye", "Please", "Thank You", "Where are the toilets?", "Is this local red wine fit for human consumption?", "I hope so, since I just drank three bottles of it!") .

 

I love languages and have found that the Berlitz phrasebooks w/CD's are a very good way to get a few useful words and phrases under one's belt before a trip. One can even load the CD onto an iPod in order to listen to it while one does the necessary pre-cruise weight-loss exercise.

 

Another hazard one can encounter when well-meaning but untrained people try to do onboard language instruction is that the teacher uses much more complex words or phrases than are necessary. That was the case on our Dubai-Athens cruise last year on Silver Whisper when the lovely Egytian jewelry rep tried to teach everyone the words for "Please" and "Thank You" in Arabic, using four- and five-syllable words which no one could remember, and then agreed with several of us "Berlitz-CD-trained" passengers that the more common two-syllable words for those phrases were entirely acceptable and a lot easier to remember. She was a lovely jewelry rep but not a great language teacher.

 

Lordie, this post has become way too linguist nerdie, has it not? Forgive me. (I've forgotten how to say that in Arabic.)

 

Cheers, Fred

[basedow]

Orpington, I think your 5 year old granddaughter is probably right. She mostly likely can learn a bit in an hour or so.

 

I think it would be do-able for adults to learn at least salutations, thank yous and the ability to say goodby. Surely we've all had at least some Romance or Germanic high school exposure that would be re-stimulated in a few lessons.

 

Besides, it's fun!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[freddie]

Basedow - Even though, as I stated in my previous post, it ain't too effective, I will entirely agree with you that it's fun! And even if it's no more than that, it might be a worthwhile activity. After all, why do we cruise, other than for food fun, good grub, and good hooch?? Cheers, Fred

[basedow]

Freddie, Sorry, I posted before I read your first post. Delightful!!

 

You're right about all of it and I don't think any harm can come of it. It shows respect, or an attempt at it, even if the words come out wrong. (I think in trying to say thank you in Mandarin, I believe I said, kisses, kisses!)

 

I really wouldn't care if the instructors were untrained. It's better than nothing.

 

I like your reasons for cruising! Absolutely!

[Bfson]

How about some water aerobics classes?

[basedow]

Excellent idea!

[Travelcat2]

People may have to enter the pool in shifts. If you are doing water aerobics on the Navigator (stretching out your arms, etc.), you could fit maybe three people in the pool at a time.

[basedow]

How about folk songs and folk dancing?

[Travelcat2]

How about folk songs and folk dancing?

 

That sounds like fun!

[Wendy The Wanderer]

In the original vane, I think an hour or two of teaching simple words and phrases in a foreign language would be great. They did that on the PG--the Gauguines would teach simple polite phrases in Polynesia, it was great fun.

 

Just hello, thank you, how much is this, etc. Would be very useful and I think well-attended. For the keeners they could have a second lesson where perhaps simple sentences could be put together.

 

Water aerobics would be great, but the pools are really small for it.

 

For myself, more wine appreciation please! In general, appreciation of local customs, foods, music. How about singing?

[JPR]

How about combining wine appreciation and a foreign language into a one class? Say, Spanish wines with Spanish, French wines with French, or Italian wines with Italian? (Or Australian wines with Aussie?) That should loosen up inhibitions that make people embarrassed to try to speak another language.

 

Now it's still true that you may not learn much but you'll be more likely to think you have...

[cb traveler]

There was a fantastic art instructor on some Voyager world cruises. Last year, she taught a sketch class and did other art projects later in the day. I think her name is Marcia.

 

Anyway, it would be really cool to have her teach sketching when we go on excursions. That way we'd be able to draw what we see when we're visiting places. Like a church or old site. That would be a very good activity that would really tie all our cruising experiences together. She was so nice. She'd be perfect to lead cruisers in this activity.

 

cb

[basedow]

I'm really enjoying all the great ideas! Doing all these things would add so much enjoyment to the cruise. Pairing the wines with the language certainly would add to the feeling of mastery and that's the point.

 

Given that there are many interesting and accomplished people who cruise on Regent, I'm sure that these activities would be well attended. Also, for the power to bring and retain cruisers to Regent, these new programs would be very attractive indeed!

[lkakers]

On our Mariner cruise last May, one of the dance instructors (from Ukraine, I believe) taught a couple of Russian-language sessions before our port of call in Petropavlovsk, Russia. Very fun, regardless if anyone really learned anything!

 

And originally, it was to be only one session, but everyone had so much fun and wanted to go more "in depth" that we begged for the second session... :p

[basedow]

What a terrific testimonial! I'm hoping to "learn" a little Norwegian in a couple of months..............

[NCCruzQueen]

The language classes might be a good thing to have on the TV system so we can review a few times and practice in our suites.

[LOGHL]

I'm with Freddie... before arriving in a foreign country ( non english speaking that is ) I learn the words for ,,please, thank you,where is the nearest toilet, & of course ..how much is??

rather than spend for these lessons why not on the first day of the passages...have a few words written down phonetically....so that we could use them.

On our most recent cruise when we entered China... there were a slew of people all in uniform..unsmiling...unfriendly... I greeted one of them by saying hello in Chinese....

I got the warmest smile from him (& I'm a little old grey haired lady, not a young chick), and he escorted me to a place that i wanted.....so you see... these things work...

[freddie]

"(& I'm a little old grey haired lady, not a young chick)"

 

Now, now, Judy - Although I entirely agree with your agreeing with me about learning a few good basic words and phrases, it is a bit misleading to the happy readers of this board to describe yourself as you did. I would respectfully submit that you got the very positive reaction that you did not only because you had the great courtesy to address the Chinese man in his language but also because you are a very chique and striking "woman of a certain age".

 

See you on Navigator in May. Are you studying your Latin American Spanish?? Cheers, Fred

[LOGHL]

Fred,,"Gracias por" the kind words....

[Wendy The Wanderer]

The language classes might be a good thing to have on the TV system so we can review a few times and practice in our suites.

 

That is a great idea, as is putting a few words or an insert into the Daily Passages, so we could take a cheat sheet with us if we needed it!

[MrMojoRisin]

How about combining wine appreciation and a foreign language into a one class? Say, Spanish wines with Spanish, French wines with French, or Italian wines with Italian? (Or Australian wines with Aussie?) That should loosen up inhibitions that make people embarrassed to try to speak another language.

 

Now it's still true that you may not learn much but you'll be more likely to think you have...

 

 

After a "few" glasses of red liquid sunshine I can speak fluent Gibberish.