We all know that when travelling abroad, it can sometimes help to have a few phrases in the local language to hand. It helps to make your hosts feel more welcoming, makes you feel like you've made an effort and could be vital in an emergency situation.
Why not check out the BBC’s holiday “Quick Fix” website (
www.bbc.co.uk/languages/other/quickfix/) – which gives you essential phrases in a wide range of languages from Bulgarian to Chinese. You can download them onto your mp3 player or print them out to take with you.
It’s no substitute for learning a language properly, but it might just make a difference.
Who knows it could be the start of an interest in languages that ends up with you working as a translator!