Free Guides
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Ultimate and Printable Guide: Basic French for Travelers
Once it is safe to travel again, are you planning on visiting France? France is the most-visited country in the world, with nearly 90 million people visiting annually (in a normal year that is!). French is estimated to be spoken fluently by approximately 235 million people. That means that the French you learn for your trip will likely be useful again in the future as well! It is a great idea to have some knowledge of basic French words and phrases in your repertoire before departing on your trip. In major cities like Paris, it may be true that many people know some English, but most still use French. The…
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Ultimate and Printable Guide: Basic Swedish for Travelers
Are you planning a trip to Sweden soon? Sweden is the largest country in Northern Europe, the third-largest in the European Union and is visited by about 7 million people annually. Sweden is a beautiful country with kind and welcoming citizens. The official language there is Swedish, which is natively spoken by approximately 10 million people. Having some knowledge of basic Swedish words and phrases in your repertoire is a great asset before departing on your trip. Even if a large percentage of Swedes know some English, they may not be comfortable using it. I have found many Swedes to be notorious for saying their English ‘isn’t so good’, only…
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Ultimate and Printable Guide: Basic German for Travelers
Are you planning a trip to Germany soon? If so you’re not alone, approximately 37.4 million people visit Germany every year making it the ninth-most visited country in the world. German is also one of the most prevalent languages spoken and taught worldwide, with over 130 million speaking it around the globe. Having some knowledge of basic German words and phrases in your repertoire is a great asset before departing on your trip. Even if a large percentage of Germans know some English, they may not be comfortable using it. Additionally, locals usually respect the fact that a visitor has taken the time to learn some of their language. Some…
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5 Minute Beginners Guide to IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet)
Have you ever seen those wonky letters under a dictionary definition and wondered? What the heck do those symbols mean? If so you’re in the exact right place. In five minutes, you’ll be on your way to reading those like a pro. First off, what is IPA? IPA, or the International Phonetic Alphabet, is a system of standardized speech sounds. That may sound complicated so let’s back up for a second. English is a pretty confusing language to speak, some of this comes from the fact that English letters are not 1:1 with English sounds. For example, the letter ‘T’ can be pronounced like the ‘t’ in ‘tree’ or the…
