Last Updated on February 12, 2024 by Travelationship
There is an abundance of Pocket Language Guides or phrasebooks as they are called, but are they necessary or even beneficial? And if so, which is the best one for me to get?
Pocket Language Guides and Phrase Books
Traveling is a lot like school, particularly college; the more you put into it, the more you will get back. I cannot count the number of times my traveling experiences have improved by just attempting to speak the local language. We can consistently see the expressions of the people we interact with change or lighten when we just put the most basic effort in to communicate with them on their terms. In my travel experience, these phrasebooks are not only useful, but they are also necessary for someone who doesn’t speak the local dialect to begin to get the most out of their travel experience.
There are a variety of phrasebooks, particularly in languages like French and Spanish, each having varying degrees of usefulness. In the past, my go-to guides have been from Lonely Planet based on their ultra-helpful front and back inside covers and color-coding organizational system. The question is, am I using the best one out there? So, for that, I set up a little experiment pitting the three most prominent players against each other: Berlitz, Lonely Planet, and Rick Steves. I chose French as my language, took some pictures of similar pages in each book while removing any identifying marks, and asked for some native speakers’ opinions on the content. Below is the consensus of the results:
Berlitz Language Guide
Formal, but not too formal, and spot-on pronunciation assistance best sums up Berlitz’s entry. The winner for pronunciation should come as no revelation, as Berlitz is the only language company in the group. Maximilian Berlitz started it in 1878 because he needed an assistant French instructor. However, some disappointment surrounded the fact that Berlitz books don’t have a second quick help section on the back cover. Remember, though, that if you are known to have particular difficulty with foreign languages, Berlitz books will give you that extra assistance in the pronunciation department.
Lonely Planet Language Guide
The most common terms used to describe Lonely Planet’s book were formal and very basic. “When you are a guest, formal is the way to go” and “The color-coded organizational system was easy to use” were two of the quotes from my testers. A husband and wife started Lonely Planet in the 1970s with a single self-published book, and is now the largest travel guide publisher in the world. Unsurprisingly, they have more languages covered than any other publisher.
Rick Steves Language Guide
Unanimously, his guide was chosen as the best example of how locals would talk. Also, it was pointed out that he noted gender, which certainly can be helpful, especially when looking for a toilet. His guides are not as colorful as the others, but they remain intuitively organized. Rick Steves didn’t follow the typical course when he started his travel service business, which has garnered him a near cult following. He only recently began to create phrasebooks, so his selection of languages is limited but expanding.
What About Alternatives?
If you are wondering why I am still using a book when I could pull up some snazzy app on my phone, to you, I say “Roaming Data.” The holy grail of phone charges is International Roaming Data; it is cheaper to call Uzbekistan from a payphone for 2 hours than to use an MB of data in France. Plus, there is the added benefit of the appearance of attempting to look something up in a book labeled “French,” as opposed to giving the impression of being rudely playing with one’s phone.
Google Translate now has an “Offline” feature in its app, which allows you to download specific languages for translation. It is available for Android and iOS.
Suppose you are looking for an app to help you prep for a trip. I highly recommend Duolingo, available for Android, iOS, and web browsers. On top of all that, it is free!
The Verdict:
A Rick Steves phrase book is the way to go if you want to impress the locals with your linguistic skills. If you happen to be headed to a destination not covered yet by the Rick Steves library, don’t stress it too much. None of the books tested were listed as inaccurate or misleading.
Do you use Phrase Books? What has your travel experience been when you attempt to speak the local language?
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