Talkman Travel

1) Learn the language of the country you're visiting
2) Bring a dictionary along or hire a tour guide who'll hold your hand

The first option isn't practical if your language learning aptitude is rusty. You certainly don't want to blurt out "Take me to the gulag" when you really meant to say, "I wish to visit the theater." The second option may work better but if you're fumbling around the street thumbing through a 1000 page dictionary, local thieves will have found their mark of the day

Sony's Talkman Travel offers a third option for travelers - a foreign language interpreter which translates words and phrases from Japanese into the local language. Three countries are supported: South Korea, Taiwan, and China (Shanghai). If you travel to South Korea, set the country in the software accordingly and preset phrases and questions which cover common subjects or inquiries are shown on screen which are accessible through a simple menu. You'll be able to ask for directions, suggestions on restaurants, the location of the lavatory, and other life savers. Just make sure you turn the volume of the PSP way up so that the foreigner can hear Talkman's voice.