History Main / TranslationByVolume

* ''Film/MurderOnTheOrientExpress2018'': Dr. Arbuthnot starts to do this by telling the non-anglophone sailors that he can help withtheir engine before catching himself, then taking off his jacket to help.

* Sonic speaks in this way in ''VideoGame/SonicColors'' the first time he tries to communicate with Yacker. ("WHO ARE YOU AND WHAT IS HAPPENING TO YOUR PEOPLE?") There is a bit of FridgeBrilliance in it, though - his words are being translated into Yacker's language by Tails's computer, so he's speaking slowly and clearly so the ''computer'' can understand him, not so Yacker can. After that, he just speaks normally when talking to Yacker or the Wisps (or "aliens" as he prefers to call them).

* ''Film/{{Water|1985}}''. A CorruptCorporateExecutive encounters the Cascaran Liberation Front (all two of them).
-->'''Rob Waring:''' ''(with exaggerated hand movements)'' DO-YOU-SPEAK-EN-GL-ISH?\\

* ''SweetValleyHigh'':

* In an early episode of ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'', Cordelia keeps bossing around a Swedish exchange student like a pet with curt, simple phrases and the occasional foreign word. ("Momento! Stay! No!") He's later seen chatting with a member of her posse in perfectly understandable english. ("Momento this, stay that... does Cordelia not speak English?")

* The definition of 'Yarmouth' in [[Literature/TheMeaningOfLiff The Meaning of Liff]]:
--> ''"To shout at foreigners in the belief that the louder you speak the better they'll understand you"''

In all fairness, trying to employ this trope might sometimes work, especially with languages that are partly mutually comprehensible and share a similar vocabulary and grammar, or when talking to someone who has a very basic knowledge of the language.[[note]]For example, English is part of the basic syllabus in Japanese schools so pretty much every Japanese person would at least be able to say "this is a pen", but most who don't make an extra concerted effort to learn the language in full will have a ''very'' basic vocabulary and poor pronunciation.[[/note]] Speaking slowly and clearly allows them to keep up and they might catch some of the few words they know or grasp the meaning from gestures.

In all fairness, trying to employ this trope might sometimes work, especially with languages that are partly mutually comprehensible and share a similar vocabulary and grammar, or when talking to someone who has a very basic knowledge of the language. Speaking slowly and clearly allows them to keep up and they might catch some of the few words they know or grasp the meaning from gestures.

* Howie Mandel (back before he did [[DealOrNoDeal game shows]]) used this concept in his stand-up routine, asking how we would like it if people did it to us. The punch line being that, when someone did it to him, it worked.

* ''Literature/TheTerror'' by DanSimmons. Sir John Franklin (portrayed as generally affable but incompetent) tries to do this to a wounded Esquimaux who's been brought on board the ship.

The Wikivoyage [[https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Talk article]] on conversation while traveling (appropriately enough labeled "talk") links to this page, discussing a common pitfall when there is no shared language.

The Wikivoyage [https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Talk article] on conversation while traveling (appropriately enough labeled "talk") links to this page, discussing a common pitfall when there is no shared language.

'''Frenchman:''' (''equally slowly and clearly'') No I won't. I AM an evil revolutionary (''claw hands'') and I have murdered (''draws his finger across his throat'') the ambassadeur (''pushes his nose up'') and have turned him into -''mimes squashing something between his hands and tasting it'') paté.

* In ''Series/FawltyTowers'', Basil often addresses Manuel, the Spanish waiter and bellboy by shouting at him, along with lots of GratuitousSpanish (which is as often as not French, Italian or AsLongAsItSoundsForeign) and slapstick violence. [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cwYPCFfbhZM See this clip.]]

** Elizabeth speaks loudly and slowly to a waiter in a ''Sweet Valley University'' book. She cringes as she does it, knowing full well how insulting it is--but it works. The waiter is able to pick up on the few English words that he does understand and help her out.

[[folder:Comics]]
* In ''ComicBook/{{Bone}}'', Phoney Bone tries this on ''the Great Red Dragon'' when he doesn't respond to Phoney's questions about his cousin Fone Bone. "HAVE-YOU-SEEN-FONE-BONE-A-ROUND?" Fortunately, Ted the bug intervenes before the Dragon loses his temper.

[[folder: Film - Animated]]

-->'''Clayton:''' GO-RIL-LAS!
-->'''Tarzan:''' GO-RIL-LAS!

[[folder: Film - Live Action]]

* In ''ShanghaiNoon'' when Jackie Chan's character (who speaks English) is trying to get directions from a couple Indians (who don't):
--> '''Jackie:''' WHERE. IS. CARSON. CITY?!
--> '''Indian:''' (in subtitles) Now he's saying it slower; like that's going to help!

-->'''Marty:''' ''(very slowly, deliberately)'' Look, I just want to know how much money the Sports Almanac costs.\\
'''Clerk:''' ''(just as deliberately)'' And I just want to know what format you want? ROM-Cart, ROM-D, Standard-C, Mini-C or Micro-C? Rental, Lease or download? What's your memcap and baud rate? Interface with me, kid. You'll never get by in this world if you can't interface.\\
''(silence)''\\

* ''Film/{{Water 1985}}''. A CorruptCorporateExecutive encounters the Cascaran Liberation Front (all two of them).

[[folder: Literature]]

[[folder: Live Action Television]]

-->'''Turk:''' I'm sorry. But I CAN'T UNDERSTAND YOU.
-->'''Marco:''' Yeah, well that talking slower and louder thing is not as helpful as you might think.

* PlayedWith in ''Series/SamanthaWho?'': The main character has amnesia and when she meets up with her friend, the friend starts using this trope, speaking loudly and unnaturally clearly. Another friend quickly berates her, letting her know that Samantha has amnesia but isn't deaf. She is also obviously not a foreigner.

--->'''Blackadder''': Do you speak English?
--->'''Frou-Frou''': ''(thick French accent)'' A little.
--->'''Blackadder''': Yes, when you say "a little", what exactly do you mean? I mean, can we talk, or are we going to spend the rest of the afternoon asking each other the way to the beach in very loud voices?

--->'''Blackadder''': Ah, good evening, my man. Do you speak English?
--->'''Frenchman''': Little.
--->'''Blackadder''': Oh good, then just take me to the ambassador then, would you?
--->'''Frenchman''': Pardon?[[note]]The French word, not the English word.[[/note]]
--->'''Blackadder''': ''(sighs, then speaks slowly and clearly)'' I have rescued ''(mimes grabbing something)'' an aristocrat ''(turns his head to the side and pushes his nose up with one finger)'' from the clutches ''(makes "claws" with his hands)'' of the evil revolutionaries ''(does the claw hands again)''. Please take us to the ambassador.
--->'''Frenchman''': ''(equally slowly and clearly)'' No I won't. I AM an evil revolutionary ''(claw hands)'' and I have murdered ''(draws his finger across his throat)'' the ambassadeur ''(pushes his nose up)'' and have turned him into ''(mimes squashing something between his hands and tasting it)'' paté.

* In ''Series/DowntonAbbey'', this is how Violet guesses that Rosamund's given excuse to visit Switzerland - to improve her French - is bunk.
--> ''"If Rosamund wants to be understood, she shouts."''

[[folder: Music]]

[[folder: Stand-up Comedy]]
* Creator/EddieIzzard, a British comedian, did a bit about it, where Brits in France would try to order the same foods from home, but speak with greater volume and enunciation. Which ''could'' work depending on the food, given a bunch of dishes have their name borrowed from French.
* Howie Mandel (back before he did [[DealOrNoDeal game shows]]) used this concept in his stand-up routine, asking how we would like it if people did it to us. The punch line being that, when someone did it to him, it worked.
* Henry Cho:
** Henry Cho talks about his mother-in-law speaking loudly in English to his father, a man of Korean descent who however speaks perfect English. She says "HELLO, IT'S GOOD TO MEET YOU" loudly and slowly, and his dad turns to him and asks, "What is she doing?" -- "She thinks she's speaking Korean, Dad!"
** When he himself visited Korea, he was approached by an American tourist who spoke with him in loud English and combined it with Korean-like ElSpanishO.
--->'''Henry Cho:''' All the Korean people she could pull out of the crowd, she pulls ''me'' out of the crowd and goes "IS THIS BUSEY THAT GOESEY DOWNEY TOWNEY?" I looked at her and said "I reckon so."

[[folder: Tabletop Games]]
* The ''TabletopGame/{{GURPS}}''-based ''TabletopGame/DiscworldRoleplayingGame'' has a skill called "Shouting At Foreigners", which essentially turns translation by volume into a character ability.
-->''Many people think that they can get by in any language by speaking loudly, slowly and clearly in their own, or by dredging up a few half-remembered words from old stories and books. On the Disc, this sometimes works.''

[[folder: Theatre]]
* ''Theater/{{Drood}}'' has John Jasper and Reverend Crisparkle attempt this approach to Helena and Neville Landless (unaware they actually speak English), with Crisparkle adding gestures.
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Video Games]]

[[folder: Web Comics]]
* {{Parodied|Trope}} in ''Webcomic/BasicInstructions'' by Scott Meyer in "How to Talk to Someone who Speaks a Foreign Language". To sum up, be patient and remember that people might stereotype. [[http://basicinstructions.net/basic-instructions/2008/8/11/how-to-talk-to-someone-who-speaks-a-foreign-language.html Read it here]].
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Web Original]]
* In ''WebVideo/TheAutobiographyOfJaneEyre'' episode "Cleaning House", Grace Poole tries speaking ultra-clearly and somewhat loudly using just words and not forming a full sentence and adding one gratuitous "por favor" when she instructs two maids not to clean Jane's room. Little does she know that Susanna-Maria Ramirez Gonzalez and the other maid understand and speak perfect English. The girls just deliberately mess with her because this way, she will bug them less. [[http://youtu.be/_ZLzQDu_fYM?t=2m53s See it here.]]
* PlayedForLaughs frequently in ''WebVideo/RedVsBlue'' concerning Lopez, the Red Team's robot, can only speak Spanish.

-->'''Sarge''': ''Lopez. How. Do. We. Fix. Your. Speech. U. Nit.''\\
'''Grif''': Why are you talking so slowly, Sarge? He can understand us just fine. [[DeadpanSnarker Maybe you should try listening slower.]]

-->'''Tucker''': ''(speaking slowly)'' Okay. Church is trying to get a translator. So that we can talk to each other.\\
'''Church''': [[LampshadeHanging Tucker, the enormous alien doesn't speak our language, speaking slowly is not gonna help]].\\
'''Tucker''': What? ''(camera pans to show [[TheDitz Caboose]] standing behind him)'' I'm talking to Caboose!\\
'''Church''': Oh.\\
'''Caboose''': I don't understand. Are-are-are you hungry? Tucker, are you hungry? Are you cold?

[[InsaneTrollLogic "I thought he’d understand if I shouted loud enough!"]]

* The ''TabletopGame/{{GURPS}}''-based ''Literature/{{Discworld}} Roleplaying Game'' has a skill called "Shouting At Foreigners", which essentially turns translation by volume into a character ability.

* In ''Series/DowntonAbbey'', this is how Violet guesses that Rosamund's given excuse to visit Switzerland - to practice her German - is bunk.
--> If Rosamund wants to be understood, she shouts.

* Elizabeth does this to a waiter in a [[SweetValleyHigh Sweet Valley University]] book. She cringes as she does it, knowing full well how insulting it is--but it works. The waiter is able to pick up on the few English words that he does understand and help her out.

** In another one, when Ken Matthews returns to school following a car accident that left him blind, he embarrasses his teacher who is practically shouting at him, informing him, "My ''ears'' are fine, sir."