Communication issues are just an everyday part of travel to countries that don’t speak English. While it is sometimes a fun little adventure trying to get from point A to point B using hand gestures and miming, there are some moments, some days when you may not want to deal with it.
Or, you just might want to be extra, extra, extra sure your meal doesn’t come with meat.
Whatever it is, you now have a tool that can help you communicate your desires and needs without words!
What exactly is the No Speak Language Guide?
The No Speak Language Guide is a 2-page, 204 icon PDF I pieced together after hours of icon-hunting. You can print the document out on one single sheet of paper, front and back, and toss it into your pocket for quick and easy reference on the road. If you lose it, or if it gets ripped or ruined, you simply find your digital doc and print it out again.
View your No Speak Language Guide on your iPhone or smartphone of choice! Simply download the PDF to your phone and pull up when in a sticky communication situation. I actually find the images appear much clearer when viewed on a digital device!
There are images for several important categories such as an entire page dedicated to food: fruits, vegetables, meats, drinks, utensils, breads, etc. The second page focuses on activities, accommodation, transportation and electronics.
How much does the guide cost?
I have placed the No Speak Language Guide on E-junkie for a cool $2, but you can read on below to find out how to get a FREE copy of your own!
But, aren’t you all about trying to learn foreign languages?
Yes, yes I am. That said, if you’re traveling from country to country, it’s not easy to keep key words and phrases on the tip of your tongue. That’s when the No Speak Language Guide comes in handy!
Get a copy, for FREE!
I’m giving away a free download to the first 50 people to comment on this post, giving an example of a time when this might have been useful! I’ll use the email address associated with the comment and send out a free download coupon to the first 50. Easy!
Looking forward to reading your responses and making your travels just a little bit easier!
Great idea Brooke!
We’ve been trying to learn Spanish for a few months but we never seem to be able to fit in around blogging and studying!
#1 – Sent!
Well I can’t see for sure what icons are on there, but I can say that when I was in need of a root canal in Thailand having symbols for a tooth and a doctor would have been very useful!!
#2 – Sent! Sorry, no image of tooth… good to know for future updates. Finding open source / royalty free icons is tough.
That’s very cool. If it’s a pdf, would it be too small to see on an iPod touch or is it formatted in a way to be visible?
#3 Sent! – Well I can zoom in on my iPhone and the images show up nicely. Give it a try and let me know
It’s just a little somethin’ somethin’ I whipped up and thought others might find useful.
I dont know if I’ve traveled to too many countries where the people didnt know some basic english so i could basically get by but I know at some point soon i could definitely put this to good use!
#4 – Sent! Enjoy
I will be ttaveling throughout Europe next summer. While I know a few words in each language, this will make it easier to not be the ugly American.
#5 – Sent
Let me know if you put it to use!
Best idea ever! I’m planning a trip to countries where Arabic, Spanish, Chinese, French etc are spoken-so no way I can learn them all in just 1 year…this sounds super handy!!!!
#6 – Sent! Hope this helps on your journey!
# less than 50 !!
I’m confused by your comment, but you are #7 – and it is sent
Cool idea! As a vegetarian, I would find this very useful to make sure I’m understood when I ask if there is meat in a dish!
#8 – Sent! Great for vegetarians
Hahahahaaa, the time that we had to give a bribe to the train conductor in Italy to pass across the border so he wouldn’t kick us off the train.
Also, this would be extremely useful for my Trans-Siberian trip in January and then backpacking around China afterwards! (That is, if I don’t end up getting a Point It guide – still undecided. This may sway my decision towards no.
)
#9 – Sent! Wonder how it compares that guide you mention.
ill use it on my RTW I leave for in January !
#10 – sent! Hope this can be put to good use!
This is a great idea. I’m vegetarian and spent 3 weeks in China – the entire time I was too scared to eat from street vendors for what I might get! This would have helped a lot!
#11 – Sent! Hopefully this helps for next time!
I know just when this might have been useful! We stayed at a resort on Ko Lanta for a week and despite many repeated questions in different permutations, we could NOT figure out whether breakfast was included or not!
Breakfast ended up NOT being included and we ended up with a bill for it at the end of our stay
Whoops.
#12 – Sent! Don’t know if this can help with that particular situation, but it should be good for many others
One of the best travel-inspired ideas I’ve seen in a while. Hats off, Brooke! This will save you way more in time and frustration than the $2 you spend on it. You’ll be the envy of your dorm room…and Russian backwater town where no one speaks English
Hey Brooke, thanks so much for sharing.
I love this idea. I have seen this in book form before, but never in a PDF that is so easy to carry on your smart phone, and as you pointed out in your pocket. This could be very helpful when meeting your host family and asking about where to go in the city, or how things operate there at their house.
#13 Sent! This is a very general pdf, but your tips are giving me ideas for upgrades or themes in the future
Yay! I love this idea… language is something that makes my family nervous when I bring up any travel plans.
#14 Sent – enjoy!!!
This is an awesome idea, Brooke! I met some people carrying around a chilrdren’s book on their overland RTW trip resorting to pointing to pictures in the book. This is so much more convenient and helpful in the situations travelers always seem to get themselves into.
It would have definitely come in handy for me on one particular night getting stuck in a border town between Bulgaria and Romania at 3:00 in the morning. After a rough day of travel, sometimes miming what you want is too much. I ended up at a brothel instead of an inexpensive place to stay – however they did rent out rooms.
#15 – Sent!
This would have been very handy for cab drivers! One time in Egypt I was trying to get to this coffee shop ten minutes away from my apartment. I got turned around somewhere so I hopped in a cab figuring it’d just be easier. Instead the cab driver tried to take me to a restaurant on the Nile river, in the touristy part of town and in the complete opposite direction! How he got “Nile” and “restaurant” out of “Metro” and “cafe” I’ll never know. Finally I called the friend I was meeting. It was an interesting day!
#16 Sent!
What a great concept! I can definitely use this on our future trips to foreign lands!
#17 – Sent! Enjoy!
What a cool idea, Brooke! This may have come in handy when I was in China and woefully lost… My friends and I ended up in a Chinese techno club, and I ended up being fult up by a very drunk Chinese man who wanted to take me home with him… lol.
Also, it might be helpful next summer, when I plan to travel around Eastern Europe!
#18 – sent! Hope this can help you out in other stressful situations.
Brooke
this no speak language guide is a great idea and and thank you for putting it together.
I think it will be a huge benifit when traveling.
TTFN
K
#19 sent! Cheers!
Hey, is there a sphinx on there? We really could have done with one in Egypt as no matter how much we acted it out or tried to pronounce it, we ended up at a shisha bar called Sphinx bar, instead of the actual ancient monument. Go figure!
#20 – Sent! No Sphinx, but I am loving the input for future updates and versions
This is exactly like a picture book I usually travel with. I have an allergy to peanuts, so it’s very handy to have a picture of peanuts and any nuts that you can point to and say “NO!” Even better when you can draw a circle and line through it (ie. no smoking) around the picture, but I’m sure you can add that into the second version
Great idea! Can’t wait to check it out and give it a try.
-Travis
#21 – Sent! Yep good for allergies for sure! Loving the feedback. This is something I want to update in a more professional looking manner in the future, but this is a good all-round basic start
we’ve been on the road for a little over three months, currently in mirtos on the south side of crete. after traveling through 7 countries so far, we’re trying to now learn greek. we study the words one typically needs, “yes,” “no,” “please,” “thank you,” “nice hair…” getting pretty good at it, too.
yesterday, after a four hour hike the day before, we decided to hike to the next village about 2 hours away. michelle’s blisters became so bad that the idea of walking home was unthinkable without band-aids. how do you say THAT in greek in a small village.
i hand-signed my way through a pretty good, one-man act in front of the woman with the mini-market. after a while, and god knows what comical hand gesture tipped her off, she said “AAAHHH!” reached behind the counter and pulled out band-aids.
MAN, i was tired!
#22 – Sent!
COOL. Thanks!
What a good idea…something like this would definitely be useful for the vegetarians out there, but also if you ever need to find a hospital, dentist or bathroom!!
#23 Sent!
great idea! I’m planning a rtw trip w my bf to start late next year! This would really come in handy!
#24 Sent!
Would love a free copy! Thanks!
#25 Sent!
Excellent idea… Much easier than drawing little pictures to try get what yor after!!
#26 – Enjoy!!!
Hi Brooke!
I also would love a free copy
Thanks and enjoy Istanbul!
#27 – sent! Sorry for the delay
I definitely could’ve used one of these when I arrived in Prague in the middle of January and needed to find a grocery store immediately. I guess I’d point to all the food icons at once and hope that does it?
Great idea!
#28 – sent
Enjoy my dear!
This sounds fantastic! I certainly could have used this in Portugal when trying to order a beer!
#29 – there you go! Cheers
Great idea – I’m going to Prague and then around Eastern Europe in Jan/Feb, and this would be a huge help with all the different (difficult!) languages over there!
#30 sent!
Suunds like a great idea. I surely wouldn’t mind getting a free copy
#31 – sent! Enjoy!
This sounds very useful! I’d definitely use this because I only go to other countries with different languages for a short amount of time.
#32 – sent! Cheers
Hi Brooke! May I have one of your super-cool guides please?
Thanks!
#33 – yes, you may! Sent
I love your blog Brooke and I follow you on Facebook. I have learned to make sure you learn some basic words prior to traveling. My first travel experience in 1998 was to Spain. Well being unwise about the culture and not doing research since I was traveling as a guest with a male friend who was going there on business. I was completely lost I didn’t realize the different dialect within the country and I was very embarrassed. I have since learned to do research before traveling. This guide would be helpful as I am planning a few solo trips for 2012. Wish me luck. I don’t have a travel partner so I must learn how to get out and explore the world as a Solo Traveler.
#34 – sent! Enjoy!
Looks like a great idea, well thought of Brooke!
#35 Cheers!
Hey,
I stumbled across your website when seeing the 5 things about being an expat in Auz. Great read. Can I have one of your free eBooks. I’m going RTW in 6 weeks crazily excited and I’m like a sponge trying to take in as much info as possible. I like the site. Good content
Thanks
#36 – Enjoy!
Hi Brooke
This is a great idea. I do like learning languages but when you travel to lots of places with different languages, its not always practical to learn then all (or possible in some situations).
I love this idea. My brother had problems visiting Japan and printed a picture of shellfish in order to avoid eating it. There are a few things I don’t eat either and this little sheet will be fab on my travels.
Thanks for taking the time to create it. Once received, I will do a blog post and point to your site to say thanks
Take care
Colleen
#37 Sent!
I have been working for the DoD supporting the military for the last few years in foreign countries. This is a great idea to have on a digital device to assist in communications. Can’t wait to see the additional sheets produced or upgrades. Have a great day.
#38 – sent! Keep your eyes peeled for updated versions later on with more pics.
I like it a lot. Because my native language mongolian is not so common. Thats why language problem is so often when i travel.
#39 – sent! Hopefully this will help you a bit.
Great idea. As an English speaking person living and working all over Asia, this will be much more convenient than any app that requires a connection.
Safe travels
#40 – sent! Remember this is very basic at the moment – will be upgraded later on with many more pics.
when i was in eygpt i broke my ankle (I fell off a wall!) and I couldnt explain to anyone that I needed a doctor, they all just stared and talked amounst themselves until someone who spoke english came along
#41 sent! Wow, Sarah, your story scares the crap out of me — how awful! I’ll have to add in a pic for broken bone down the road me thinks
good idea! i should have pointed to my ankle and snapped a stick or something! oh dear, why is it we always think of these things after its happened. thanks 4 the guide, love it!
Excellent idea! Sounds much easier than my constant fumbling with an iPhone dictionary.
#42 Sent – Thanks, Steve. Hope you enjoy this simple travel companion
I want to teach English in Ukraine or Russian (that’s how I found your blog) and given that I’m vegetarian with some crazy food sensitivities this would be a god send when trying to get food using my very limited Russian and even more limited Ukraine skills. Great idea!
#43 – sent! Sorry for the delay
I’m planning my sabbatical now, this could be handy in the near future.
#44 – sent! Sorry for the delay
This sounds like a wicked idea! I’m always a fan of learning new languages when visiting new countries – well at least enough to get by, but there are some times when time or resources just don’t permit this from happening. Not only would this help in the initial communication but also in the actual learning of local languages! Great idea.
#45 – sent
Yayy!! I’m over to a Euro trip soon!! and look what have I got here! right on time, eh??
#46 – sent… hope this made it in time!
What a great idea! We were in China, our luggage was lost and we didn’t speak Mandarin…this would have come in handy waiting for our daughter to arrive who was teaching English there. Can’t wait to use it on our next trip!
#47 – sent! Enjoy
Doing Singapore Turkey and Greece mid-year…. too many countries too many new languages
Hehe we’ve had to resort to charades with added sound effects for “train station” before. Quick-reference pics are great idea!
#48 – sent! Have fun on your travels!