One of the questions we regularly get from people interested in learning a second language is how quickly they can learn survival phrases. Truth is, a week of working with a few phrases written down in a cheat sheet is probably enough to get you through most situations where you’ll need them.
Of course, the actual time you need will depend on the number of survival phrases you want to commit to memory. Most guides I’ve seen offer around 50, although I’ve known people who get by with just a dozen or so.
My suggestion is to consult your language learning software about the most common phrases used in that particular language. Start with a dozen of phrases that you feel you could really use and start building on top of it if you have more time.
The basic categories of the most common phrases typically fall under:
Basic Salutations. This involves simple greetings (“Good morning”), giving thanks and designations (“Mr.” or “Ms.”).
Introducing yourself. You want, at bare minimum, to be able to introduce yourself, so learn how to tell people your name and where you are from.
Asking for help. Make sure you memorize some stock phrases you can use when you need help. They’re called survival phrases for that reason, afterall. Think stuff like “I’m lost,” “Can you help me?” and “Which menu item has chicken?”
Asking for directions. A lot of your time will probably be spent going around, so learn to ask people the way to airports, toilets, pharmacies, hospital and, if you’re tired of exotic cuisine, the local McDonald’s.
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