As an engineer in the semiconductor industry, there is always the possibility for you to travel to another country to troubleshoot a problem on a line, participate in a training program, attend a trade show, or even help start-up a new office. I’ve found that a small translation guide is one of the best investments you can make on your next visit to a country where your first language isn’t the common language.
For around seven dollars and an open mind, you can keep yourself entertained on a flight, pick up a few phrases to get you by when you arrive at said country, and possibly inspire you to take on the task (gulp!) of learning a new language. I found the little book pictured above. It fits in a pocket easily, and it has all the essential phrases in the first few pages. If you know someone who speaks the language well, I recommend trying your newfound skills out on them first. They can tell you if you are making a rooky mistake, and they can explain the style of the language much better than a book can.
This all pays off the first time you are able to greet someone in their native language, thank someone that expects you to only know English, or successfully carry out a short interaction (like purchasing something at a convenience store without using any English). You will also truly respect how much work your overseas partners do to be able to communicate with you in your language!