Traveling to another country and culture requires learning a small amount of the country's language prior to visiting. A few simple and easy tricks to learning a new language, or at least what is needed to get by, can be learned fairly quickly using the Internet and the resources found there.

Spanish

Spanish is the second most widely spoken language in the world and most people are at least familiar with a few of the words and terms in Spanish. One of the most necessary phrases is "Hola, como estas?" which translates as "Hello, how are you?" In response a visitor would say "Bien, gracias." Which is the equivalent of "Fine, Thank You." The Spanish speaking people of the world conform to the pleasantries of conversation more so then in the United States. A few other words that are helpful would be "comida" or "food," "por favor" or "please," and "mas despacio por favor" which means please speak slower, and is most helpful when in any Spanish speaking country.

• A traveler's guide to Spanish with words and phrases to help any person visiting a Spanish speaking country.
• A Spanish survival dictionary broken down into categories and uses of words and phrases.
• A simple and basic list of common Spanish phrases and words for travelers with little or no foreign language experience.
• A large list of glossaries and dictionaries for Spanish ranging from simple to complete.
• A Spanish dictionary download for Palm PDAs
• A chart of English and Spanish words in visual format that may be easier to learn quickly than with books and dictionaries.

French

Spoken all throughout Europe, as well as parts of the Middle East and Central Africa, French is a Romance language just like Spanish. There are a few more rules and linguistic devices in French than most European languages. Knowing the differences in pronunciation will save a visitor from the embarrassment of using an inappropriate word. A few phrases to learn in French are "Bonjour," or "hello" and "parlez vous anglais," which means do you speak English. It is imperative that a traveler know more French than just a few phrases as this will impress the French people. They hold their language very close to their hearts and believe a visitor should know about their customs before visiting.

• A simple guide to learning French along with translations and audio files to help with pronunciation.
• Essential French phrases to learn from the BBC, has links to videos and tutorials.
• A French survival handbook beginning with English and then the French translation.
• Links and guides to learning French easily and quickly.
• An ebook with essential French phrases every traveler should know.
• A traveler's beginning lessons in learning French; simple and easy to use.

Italian

Some essential phrases needed to survive while traveling in Italy include "Salve" and "ciao" which can serve as a greeting or a good bye. Thank you in Italian is "grazie," while "mi chiamo" means "my name is." Many Italians speak English well enough to give directions or confirm a traveler is speaking correctly but it is a good idea to know more than the few simple phrases to get around. A visitor can ask "come si chiama" which means "what is your name?"

• The Italian quick fix from the BBC for travelers and beginners in learning Italian.
• Essential Italian phrases for travelers.
• A charted translation of common Italian phrases essential for travelers.
• A list of links to teach phrases need for directions, eating, lodging, and general conversation in Italian.
• Basic Italian phrases for the traveler and novice.

Hebrew

Hebrew will take a bit more effort than European languages as it reads from right to left and uses characters not found and generally unfamiliar to westerners who are not of Jewish descent. The best idea is to start with basic phrases and words and build from there. After learning a few phrases an individual may be able to move to being able to read signs and instructions in Hebrew. Phrases like "what time is it?" and "hello, my name is..." should be at the top of every visitor's word list to learn. Hello is shalom or in Hebrew it is " ??????????????" and thanks is toda but in Hebrew it is " ??????????????."

• A resource providing English translations of Hebrew terms with the Hebrew equivalent in English, for pronouncing, and Hebrew.
• A site dedicated to teaching Hebrew to non-Jewish people, simple and easy to use.
• A simple guide to learning the Hebrew alphabet, good for intermediate students.
• Live Hebrew lessons online with resources, links, classes, and online instructors.
• Learning to speak Hebrew through Podcasts and audio files for conversation.

Chinese

As China is the United State's largest trading partner and more and more Americans are traveling to China for tourist attractions, learning Chinese is a grand idea, but will take some time to master. The essential phrases can be learned in a few weeks but true understanding of the language and its linguistic devices will take time. Start slow and work into the language by taking simple and small steps. Chinese is a completely character based language and requires far more study than alpha-character languages such as German or Spanish. Guides and lessons are available online to help anyone learn Chinese.

• A chart depicting essential Chinese characters and their meanings for those interested in learning Chinese.
• A simple and essential guide to learning Chinese for travelers.
• Essential phrases for persons traveling to China with audio files to ensure proper pronunciation.
• Free Chinese learning for travelers.
• A site dedicated to the conversational learning of Chinese for travelers.
• A beginning lesson to learning Chinese for travelers and novice students.

Learning any language can be a daunting and arduous task, but with the right resources and a little time anyone can learn a language well enough to visit the country in question. Some languages will be far easier to learn as some individuals have been exposed to those languages throughout their lives, but with the wealth of information on the Internet the unfamiliar languages will seem simple and easy to learn. A little work in the language, and maybe a travel insurance policy , can help your trip go smoothly!