Preparing to travel can be both exciting and daunting, particularly when you speak a different language to those in the country youre visiting. But is this a reason to stay at home?
Advice from French volunteer, Naelle, will help you conquer your fears.
My name is Naelle, Im 20 years old and I come from France. I am volunteering in the remote Peruvian Amazon with Crees for one month.
The start of an adventure
I feel the most like myself when I am away from city life and at the heart of nature. When Im in these places I find true serenity. This is why I wanted to travel somewhere wild.
However, this is the first time I have travelled by myself, so whilst its exactly what I wanted to do, I knew I needed to be cautious and find a way to remain safe and well accompanied, in the right hands. This is when I discovered eco-volunteering. I didnt really know what to expect, I just knew I was interested in ecology.
But I had one problem: most of the organisations I was interested in use English as a first language. In the case of Crees they communicate in both English and Spanish, but I only speak French.
Would this make it difficult to form relationships, to understand the organisation or make an impact to the work it does?
Here I am today with 6 other volunteers who, like me, have never set foot in the jungle. They are all English speaking, one of whom speaks French very well.
After 2 weeks, I thought it would be interesting to share my experience, to explore whether my fears were founded or not, and to give advice to anyone else thinking about volunteering and worrying that language will be a barrier.
Its always hardest at first
As I mentioned, this is the first time I have travelled by myself, and the first 10 days being away from home were very hard, particularly because I do not speak English very well and I was missing my family a lot.
But during this time, I also discovered the Manu Learning Centre (MLC): an amazing place, just like the people who live here.
The Peruvian staff who do the cooking, cleaning and keep the place up to scratch are all Spanish speaking, so it can be even harder for me to communicate with them. But Ive found that a smile is a universal language, making it easy to understand mutual kindness.
As for the field staff – both Peruvian and international – who run the research and education side of things and with whom we work the most, they are incredible people.
They are always around to listen to any problems we may have and the good relationship the volunteers have developed with them creates a convivial, fun mood.
I have always felt safe with and around them, at camp and in the jungle, and we are very well looked after. This safe environment makes it easier for people who are learning either English or Spanish to feel comfortable and get to know others at their own pace.
Learning a language and building friendships
It has been two weeks since the start of this trip and it has been fabulous.
New friendships have been created between all members of this adventure, and my English is constantly improving. It is also a source of lots of crazy and uncontrollable laughter!
Its hugely important to me to feel useful and, luckily, every day at the MLC brings new activities. By checking the survey traps and gathering data we are truly helping out with the research programmes carried out here.
We are of course also here to learn and to be taught about the life that surrounds us. Thanks to the programmes training I can now identify 46 different species of animals, which I achieved in the space of only 14 days. I find it harder to memorise the 10 different bird calls but I remain confident; it will come with time.
Exploring the jungle
Finally, the jungle itself is simply perfect. It offers to us one of the most magic spectacles there are. Its like being in a dream, the vegetation carries the secrets of its inhabitants, constantly revealing magnificent sounds. Every day Mother Nature winks at us and lets us admire something new. If we pay attention we can see monkeys, birds, snakes, frogs and plenty of other wonders.
Sharing and appreciating the beauty of the jungle doesnt need a spoken language. Experiencing this with others in my group has formed a bond that no other adventure could recreate.
My advice?
To all those who might hesitate to attempt an adventure because of language barriers, Id say do it without question and throw yourself into the experience.
Yes, it takes a bit of time to adapt, but everybody here puts themselves at your level and helps you to understand. If I were to do it again, I would do it without fear.
It is a fantastic experience and I am proud to have shared it with Crees.
Thanks to Naelle for sharing her experience with Crees. She’s been an incredible volunteer and has truly thrown herself into every experience. Her contagious joy and adventurous spirit will be missed (and her English – and now Spanish! – is much better than she gives herself credit for).
If youre interested in finding more about Crees experiences then check out our volunteering, internships, or ecotours – or get in touch to chat to the team directly.