Lazy about learning a language? While we’d rather you memorize survival phrases for use when visiting a country, we understand it may not always be possible.
Maybe, you were sent to Portugal on an impromptu errand. Perhaps, you have a memory problem and can’t remember words with more than five letters at a time. It could be you actually tried working with the best language software, but couldn’t find the mettle to stick through it in such a short schedule.
Whatever excuse you have, we’ve probably heard it before. We’ll let you judge for yourself whether yours is valid or not. The question now is: How do you survive a country without knowing a lick of the language?
- A phrasebook. Buy a phrasebook and carry it around. Make sure to choose one with well-defined chapters, so all you have to do is turn to the section on restaurants when ordering food and to the section on transportation when talking with a cab driver.
- A cheat sheet. For those who are too lazy to wade through a phrasebook, we love one-page cheat sheets. Write down the most common ones you’ll use and whip it out quickly as soon as you find the need. No need to turn pages!
- Talking translators. These dedicated single-purpose wonders are excellent for those who are even lazier than normal. Just find the phrase you want to say from the menu, push the Speak button and have it convey what you’re thinking with a perfect accent.
- iPhone apps. A new entrant into these things, this is for the laziest of the lot. Not only does it let you communicate without talking yourself, you don’t even have to carry an extra gadget to do it. Just your iPhone – the same one you use for calling and texting.
See, even the lazy have options for emergency language use. Of course, if you’d rather show some motivation, a good language software and a couple months of training should save you from all these extra hassles.