Lonely Planet Comet - The Language Issue

Subscribe - Unsubscribe - Update Details - Privacy - Contact Us - Read this Email Online Lonely Planet Comet The Language Issue Okay, hands up who thinks the only foreign phrase you need on the road is 'voulez-vous coucher avec moi'? Then we need to talk. And that's what this issue is all about. The world of language and communication. It can be as simple as a whistle or as complex as a 56,000 character alphabet. Let's get into it. Language beyond the A-Z - Chinese characters and whistling words Body Language - Watch the world of tango The most Important Travel Phrase - Learn how to book a room around the world Talk Online - Thorn Tree's top talk tips Talk the Talk and Learn a Language - The prettiest places to learn another tongue Here's the deal - get a free Crumpler Bag with book orders! Can ya beat that? Bag a Crumpler ›   Language Beyond the A-Z Pucker Up A piercing wolf-whistle can say more than enough, but on the Canary Islands, an ancient whistling language called Silbo Gomero is used by locals to communicate across the hills. Wondering what the birds are thinking? Listen to it in action › Tongue-tied? Universally, actions can speak louder than words. So what are the best human connections exclusive of language? China's Got Character The mere 26 letters in the Roman alphabet can look pretty lightweight when you stack it up against the 56,000 character-alphabet used by the Chinese. Want to know more The spoken language Discounting ethnic minority languages, China has eight principal dialect groups. The predominant dialect in the Southwest is Sichuanese, though the differences from Putonghua are as much a reflection of regional accent as significant differences in vocabulary. Cantonese is spoken in Hong Kong, Macau, Guangdong and parts of Guangxi. It differs from Mandarin as much as French differs from Spanish. Speakers of both dialects can read Chinese characters, but a Cantonese speaker will pronounce words very differently. Cantonese also has a more complex tone system than Mandarin, boasting at least seven tones compared with Mandarin's four. The written language Chinese is often referred to as a language of pictographs. Many of the basic Chinese characters are in fact highly stylised pictures of what they represent, but most (around 90%) are compounds of a 'meaning' element and a 'sound' element. So just how many Chinese characters are there? It's possible to verify the existence of some 56,000 characters, but the vast majority of these are archaic. It is commonly felt that a well-educated, contemporary Chinese person might know and use between 6000 and 8000 characters. To read a Chinese newspaper you will need to know 2000 to 3000 characters, but 1200 to 1500 would be enough to get the gist. Taken from Lonely Planet's China's Southwest, 3rd ed.   We've been learning our BBCs Recently, Lonely Planet founders Tony and Maureen Wheeler told staff they'd sold a majority share to BBC Worldwide. And the more we get to know each other, the more we discover how much we have in common: a truly global outlook, editorial integrity and respect for travellers. Watch Tony and Maureen discuss the sale, read the editorial blog, or read a message from the Wheelers on the Thorn Tree. Hot off the Press   Japan - Zen neon Northeast India - The tiger motherload Canary Islands - Go rugged or relax China's Southwest - Big buddhas, tiny pandas Copenhagen Encounter - A shot of Scandinavian espresso China Deals » Want to take an adventure tour in    China? Want a 10% discount with that? » Find the cheapest flights to Beijing » Find the finest accommodation in China A Taste of Western Australia Check out the latest upgrade to our Western Australia microsite. We've got more podcasts, more pictures, more adventures to sink your teeth into. To get a glimpse of Western Australia and practise your Japanese, watch this › SPONSORED LINK   Body Language Dance Talk Are you more elegant on the dancefloor than you are with a foreign language? A flouncy flamenco or a saucy samba in the right direction might be able to get your message across better than any mangling from a phrasebook. Then again, you could try other methods of communication, like a kick-arse howl or a snappy haircut. Get the message. Tango in Buenos Aires ›   Watch it! Masai Tribal Dance › A Haircut in Goa › Asakusa Samba Festival › Howler Monkeys in Costa Rica ›  The Most Important Travel Phrase This one's a hot debate. Some would say it's 'I'll have the good gin, sir'. Others, like this Bluelist user, might say it's 'where is the toilet?'. But when you get down to it, after you've been schlepping around all day, all you want to do is find a nice, cool hotel. So how do you ask for a room? Here's how: • Amsterdam - Is er een kamer vrij?  • Mexico City - Tienes un habitacion? • Israel - Yesh lachem cheder? • Budapest - Van Önnek kiadó szobája? • Paris - Avez-vous une chambre? • Bangkok - Mee hôrng măi? • Rome - Avete una camera? • Kuala Lumpur - Ada bilik yang kosong? You can practise your new-found language skills to book snazzy accommodation in one of these great locations, not only do the beds come recommended you’ll also get a 40% discount off guidebooks when you book: Hot Property of the Month Shambala, Ko Samui, Thailand › Netherlands, Amsterdam › Mexico, Mexico City › Israel, Jerusalem › Hungary, Budapest › France, Paris › Thailand, Bangkok › Italy, Rome › Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur ›  Talk Online - Language on the Thorn Tree There's plenty of chatter about language and communication on the Thorn Tree - in fact, there's a whole branch called Speaking in Tongues dedicated to it. To dip your toes in, check out these posts*: Me talk good English? What's the most popular foreign language to learn? Heading to Western Europe? Then learn... Do locals really appreciate your attempt to learn their language? To speak or not to speak Spanish in Barcelona - that is the question. *This information comes directly from travellers but remember, it's not always verified, so check with the relevant embassy for further details. Compass Competition We have five copies of Say What?, a multilingual pocket guide to local expressions to give away. To win one, tell us where you would speak: • Sandawe • Azeri • Dzongkha Email your answers by 30 November to comet@lonelyplanet.com.au  Talk the Talk & Learn a Language It's great to learn another language - even better to do it in some of the world's most fabulous spots.  Learn a language in the most beautiful places on earth By: dothings - 28 Feb 2006 Portuguese... Join the girls from Ipanema in Rio De Janeiro Do a Portuguese language course in Rio and you’ll have to pinch yourself daily to believe it - living on the famous Ipanema beach, surrounded by mountains, jungle and the ocean, feasting on tropical fruits and dancing samba on the streets. Paradise! French... Classes in the Mediterranean climate of Montpellier Montpellier has all the attractions of a big city without the stress, drawing savvy Europeans to its French colleges. In between classes you’ll be drinking wine with locals, lounging by the Mediterranean, and seeing Roman and medieval remains. More › The Ultimate Language Challenge Wanna go high-octane on your language learning skills? Then head to South Africa, where you can learn 11 languages in 11 days (well, almost). Insiders Guide to South Africa If that's given you a hunger to sample more than just the languages of South Africa, get the insider's guide to this vibrant area with Inside South Africa. Tu Parle Franglais? For years the English language has been peppered with French phrases: bon appetit, voila and, of course, menage a trois. But now the French are nabbing some English phrases from across the pond and tucking them into everyday use. Get the lowdown - with audio samples - on Franglais. Paris Deals » Book the best beds in Paris » To save 5% on European travel  insurance, quote: lpsave » October specials for Paris tours South Africa Deals » Most popular flights to Africa » Take an adventure tour in South Africa » Best Cape Town accommodation Your privacy is important to us. Read our privacy policy  to find out what we do and don't do with your personal details. If you no longer wish to hear from us please click here or contact us at Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd 90 Maribyrnong Street Footscray VIC 3011 Australia / tel: + 61 3 8379 8000. 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