Britons show holiday priorities in the words and phrases learned

When it comes to learning the local lingo on holiday, for many boozy Britons the most important phrase to know is “Dos cervezas, por favor” (“What can I get you to drink?”), a poll suggests.

More than one in four (28%) UK adults say they learned how to ask for two beers, or other drinks, in the local language during their most recent holiday abroad, according to a British Council survey.

And it also reveals that politeness is alive and well, with “please” and “thank you” the most common words learned by tourists (72%).

In addition, more than two-thirds (69%) learned to say “hello” and “goodbye”, while 28% learned the phrase “How much does it cost?”

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 (28%) teaching themselves to say “Do you speak English?” and 16% saying they learned to say “I’m sorry, I don’t speak the language”.

Just over a fifth (21%) said they did not learn any words or phrases.

The poll, which questioned almost 2,000 people, also suggests that the days of riffling through the phrasebook are long gone for many younger Britons, with 60% of 16-34-year-olds saying they have used smartphones and apps to help understand the local language, while 39% have used a phrasebook.

In total, 42% of those polled said they had taken a phrasebook abroad with them to help them understand the local language, while more than a third (36%) had used their phone.

And while more than half (59%) agreed that translation technology is a useful tool for making the most out of your holiday, just over one in 10 (11%) said they have misunderstood the local language due to an inaccurate translation.

Nearly three-quarters (73%) agreed that it is important to learn a few phrases in the local language.

The Populus survey questioned 1,960 UK adults who said they go on holiday overseas between July 25-26.