International Travel without Basic English??

Technically, I am bilingual. And Spanish can be quite useful in the US and south thereof. Obviously it is always ideal to speak the local language while traveling and when I was making my way through Central America and Mexico, speaking Spanish made things much easier. As for across the pond, however, Spanish is going to be of very little use. Thankfully for me, English seems to be the universal go to language for international travelers. To communicate with people I have to depend on the sometimes very basic, but surprisingly common, English skills of the locals, as well as the recommendations of fellow travelers who do the same whatever their first language. The point being: I speak English. But what if I didn’t? How would I approach the prospect of going around the world?

Example: you’re from Sri Lanka, you speak absolutely no English, and you have the desire and the means to travel internationally. Awesome. But, without a basic knowledge of English, how will you manage? As it is, some countries around the world struggle to cater to the wealth of foreigners who speak English well. And forget the remote chance of meeting fellow countrymen as you go. Assume that no guidebooks have been published in your language, and consider that even if one is available, many things are going to become outdated in just a few years. Think about crucial information like transport details. How do you get to a foreign country and actually do what it takes to get around and make it worth it? You can try to get by on non-verbal communication, but this will be extremely challenging and many topics will prove too complicated. What if the one language you know isn’t even represented on the internet?

Surely traveling under these circumstances is possible- it would certainly make for a hell of an adventure. Maybe this whole idea underscores the importance of not only knowing a bit of English when going abroad, but more important, having the foresight and the respect of the country you’re visiting to learn a bit of the local language before heading out. I would love to talk to the incredibly resourceful guy who has actually done this, but I guess I'd have to find a way to communicate with him first.