Learning a new foreign langauge is always a difficult task, but if you're planning to travel to another country it really helps to be able to communicate with the locals. If you set this as a reasonable goal for yourself, the job of learning a new language becomes much more manageable. Essentially there are three areas you need to focus on separately: grammar, vocabulary, and reading the langauge.

    With the aim of becoming proficient enough to move around freely in a foreign country, vocabulary should be your top priority. Simply knowing the words will usually allow you to make yourself understood, even if you don't string them together perfectly. Lucky for you, vocab is also the easiest thing to tackle. The key to learning the vocabulary is simple: make flashcards. Start by searching the internet or looking through a phrasebook, and pick out some categories you want to learn. Dining, asking directions, using public transportation, and navigating through customs are usually the most important areas where you'll want to develop your language skills. If you don't have a lot of time, don't waste it by learning phrases such as "Do you speak English?".

    Make the vocab from each category into stacks of flashcards. At this point, the amount you have to learn may look intimidating, but you'll soon find that by breaking it up into chunks you'll quickly learn and retain the vocabulary. Pick a category to start with, shuffle the stack, and pull out about 5 cards to go through. Start by learning to recognize the foreign word, quizzing yourself on the English translation. When you have those down, flip the cards over and go through them again. By following this pattern you're less likely to have cards that you get eternally stuck on. Once you feel like you have a good grasp of these 5 cards, put them aside and grab another 5. Repeat the same process, then add your new 5 to the pile you've set aside, shuffle, and go through all of them. Keep doing this until you've conquered the entire stack. As you progress, you will be constantly reinforcing the words, making it very unlikely that you'll forget them.

    A smaller part of your language learning should be devoted to picking up some of the basic grammar. If you were studying the language in college, this would probably be the bulk of your work. Thankfully, though, you don't have to worry nearly as much about it since you just need to establish basic communication skills. Languages vary significantly in the complexity of their grammar, which means some will be much more difficult to learn than others. But, you need to make sure you know the basic word order. In English, the subject of a sentence goes before the verb, and the object goes after the verb. If I say "I kicked the ball", I am the subject, kicked （or "to kick"） is the verb, and the ball is the object. Some langauges, though, do funny things with this order. Japanese is subject-object-verb, which means the action comes at the very end of the sentence. And slavic languages like Russian don't have any fixed order at all, vastly complicating things. In langauges without word order, nouns have to be changed according to their function in a sentence. This is called gramatical case, and while it's a big portion of learning these langauges, it's not for the faint of hearted. For this reason, you can probably safely ignore it for now.

    Like grammar, writing works very differently for different langauges. For example, Chinese has fairly simple grammar, which might be a relief. But the written langauge uses thousands of different characters, each one representing a word or part of a word. Memorizing a lot of these is a task you'll have to decide for yourself if you want to undertake. If you are learning a language that uses the latin alphabet, however, you really should put in the effort to learn how each letter is pronounced. Often, letters are pronounced differently than they are in English, but they usually make only one sound. English is the oddball here, we have 5 vowel letters and about 12 vowel sounds. Spanish, Czech, German, etc… are much more consistent, which means their alphabets make the langauge easier to learn. Of course, there are many other systems out there. Arabic and hebrew generally only write the consonants, Japanese has a symbol for each syllable （about 50 in all） plus special Kanji that represent words. But remember, your task here is to learn just enough to read street signs and labels at the supermarket.

    If you've managed to master some of the language before you travel, you will be received much better in your destination country. Locals everywhere like knowing that you've made the effort to speak some of their language. Best of all, learning a new language expands your mind in a way that nothing else can. You never know when the knowledge you've gained might come in handy.

    學xue習xi一yi門men新xin的de外wai語yu始shi終zhong是shi一yi項xiang艱jian巨ju的de任ren務wu，但dan是shi，如ru果guo你ni打da算suan去qu另ling一yi個ge國guo家jia旅lv行xing，它ta真zhen的de很hen有you助zhu於yu讓rang你ni能neng夠gou與yu當dang地di人ren溝gou通tong。如ru果guo你ni把ba這zhe作zuo為wei自zi己ji的de一yi個ge合he理li目mu標biao，學xue習xi一yi門men新xin語yu言yan的de工gong作zuo會hui變bian得de更geng加jia易yi辦ban。本ben質zhi上shang有you三san個ge方fang麵mian你ni需xu要yao集ji中zhong精jing力li
，它ta們men分fen別bie是shi：語法、詞彙和閱讀該語言。

    為wei了le成cheng為wei足zu夠gou熟shu練lian地di在zai外wai國guo自zi由you走zou來lai走zou去qu的de人ren，詞ci彙hui量liang應ying該gai是shi你ni的de當dang務wu之zhi急ji。簡jian單dan地di知zhi道dao隻zhi言yan片pian語yu，即ji使shi你ni沒mei有you完wan整zheng地di把ba它ta們men串chuan在zai一yi起qi
，也ye往wang往wang會hui讓rang你ni能neng夠gou表biao達da自zi己ji的de意yi思si。幸xing運yun的de是shi，詞ci彙hui對dui你ni也ye是shi最zui容rong易yi處chu理li的de事shi情qing。學xue習xi詞ci彙hui的de關guan鍵jian很hen簡jian單dan：製作抽認卡片。從查閱互聯網或者瀏覽常用語手冊開始，並且挑選一些你想要學習的類別。就餐、問路、使用公共交通以及通過海關的導覽通常是你想要提高你的語言能力的最重要的範圍。如果你沒有很多的時間，則通過學習短語例如"Do you speak English?（你會講英語嗎？）"來不把時間浪費掉。

    從(cong)每(mei)個(ge)類(lei)別(bie)製(zhi)作(zuo)詞(ci)彙(hui)表(biao)，放(fang)入(ru)成(cheng)堆(dui)的(de)抽(chou)認(ren)卡(ka)之(zhi)中(zhong)。在(zai)這(zhe)時(shi)，你(ni)必(bi)須(xu)學(xue)會(hui)的(de)數(shu)量(liang)可(ke)能(neng)看(kan)起(qi)來(lai)有(you)些(xie)嚇(xia)人(ren)
，但(dan)是(shi)馬(ma)上(shang)你(ni)就(jiu)會(hui)發(fa)現(xian)
，通(tong)過(guo)將(jiang)其(qi)分(fen)割(ge)開(kai)來(lai)，你(ni)會(hui)很(hen)快(kuai)學(xue)會(hui)並(bing)且(qie)保(bao)留(liu)住(zhu)這(zhe)些(xie)詞(ci)彙(hui)。從(cong)選(xuan)擇(ze)一(yi)個(ge)類(lei)別(bie)開(kai)始(shi)，洗(xi)洗(xi)這(zhe)些(xie)卡(ka)片(pian)，並(bing)且(qie)抽(chou)出(chu)大(da)約(yue) 5 zhangkapianlaiguoyiguo。kaishixianxuexirenshiwailaici
，anyingyudefanyikaowenziji。zainizouguozhexiebuzhihou，jiangkapianfanguolai
，bingqiezaicitongguotamen。zunzhaozheyangdemoshi，yongyuankunzainishoushangdekapiankenenghuiyueshao。yidannijiaodenihenhaolijielezhe 5 張卡片，就把它們擱在一邊並且抓取另外 5 張卡片。重複這個同樣的過程，然後將新的 5 張(zhang)卡(ka)片(pian)添(tian)加(jia)你(ni)放(fang)在(zai)一(yi)邊(bian)的(de)那(na)堆(dui)之(zhi)中(zhong)，洗(xi)卡(ka)片(pian)，並(bing)且(qie)它(ta)們(men)全(quan)部(bu)通(tong)過(guo)。堅(jian)持(chi)這(zhe)樣(yang)做(zuo)
，直(zhi)到(dao)你(ni)征(zheng)服(fu)整(zheng)堆(dui)的(de)卡(ka)片(pian)。隨(sui)著(zhe)你(ni)的(de)進(jin)步(bu)

，你(ni)會(hui)不(bu)斷(duan)增(zeng)強(qiang)對(dui)這(zhe)些(xie)詞(ci)的(de)記(ji)憶(yi)

，讓(rang)人(ren)感(gan)覺(jiao)你(ni)不(bu)可(ke)能(neng)忘(wang)掉(diao)它(ta)們(men)。

    你(ni)的(de)語(yu)言(yan)學(xue)習(xi)的(de)一(yi)個(ge)較(jiao)小(xiao)部(bu)分(fen)應(ying)該(gai)是(shi)致(zhi)力(li)掌(zhang)握(wo)一(yi)些(xie)基(ji)本(ben)的(de)語(yu)法(fa)。如(ru)果(guo)你(ni)在(zai)上(shang)大(da)學(xue)時(shi)學(xue)習(xi)過(guo)語(yu)言(yan)，這(zhe)可(ke)能(neng)是(shi)你(ni)的(de)工(gong)作(zuo)的(de)主(zhu)要(yao)部(bu)分(fen)。然(ran)而(er)
，令(ling)人(ren)欣(xin)慰(wei)的(de)是(shi)，你(ni)幾(ji)乎(hu)不(bu)需(xu)要(yao)對(dui)它(ta)那(na)麼(me)擔(dan)心(xin)，因(yin)為(wei)你(ni)需(xu)要(yao)的(de)隻(zhi)是(shi)建(jian)立(li)基(ji)本(ben)的(de)溝(gou)通(tong)技(ji)巧(qiao)。語(yu)言(yan)因(yin)它(ta)們(men)語(yu)法(fa)的(de)複(fu)雜(za)性(xing)而(er)顯(xian)著(zhe)變(bian)化(hua)，這(zhe)意(yi)味(wei)著(zhe)某(mou)些(xie)內(nei)容(rong)會(hui)比(bi)其(qi)他(ta)的(de)內(nei)容(rong)難(nan)學(xue)得(de)多(duo)。但(dan)是(shi)，你(ni)必(bi)須(xu)確(que)保(bao)你(ni)知(zhi)道(dao)一(yi)些(xie)基(ji)本(ben)的(de)語(yu)序(xu)。在(zai)英(ying)語(yu)中(zhong)
，一(yi)個(ge)句(ju)子(zi)的(de)主(zhu)語(yu)（主題）在動詞之前
，而賓語（對象）在動詞之後。如果我說："I kicked the ball（我踢球）", "I（我）"是主語， kicked （踢了）（或"to kick（踢）"）是動詞， the ball（球）是賓語。盡管一些語言所作的是一些對於這個順序有趣的事情。日語是主語-賓語-動dong詞ci，這zhe意yi味wei著zhe動dong作zuo來lai到dao了le句ju子zi的de最zui末mo端duan。而er斯si拉la夫fu語yu言yan，例li如ru俄e語yu
，則ze完wan全quan沒mei有you任ren何he固gu定ding的de順shun序xu
，這zhe使shi得de事shi情qing大da大da複fu雜za化hua。在zai不bu帶dai語yu序xu的de語yu言yan中zhong，名ming詞ci必bi須xu根gen據ju它ta們men在zai句ju子zi裏li的de功gong能neng變bian化hua。這zhe被bei稱cheng為wei語yu法fa上shang的de格ge，而er且qie盡jin管guan它ta是shi學xue習xi這zhe種zhong語yu言yan的de很hen大da的de一yi部bu分fen，它ta也ye不bu是shi有you心xin讓rang你ni發fa暈yun。因yin為wei這zhe個ge原yuan因yin，你ni大da概gai可ke以yi暫zan時shi忽hu略lve它ta。

    像xiang語yu法fa一yi樣yang
，對dui於yu不bu同tong的de語yu言yan，書shu寫xie也ye是shi非fei常chang困kun難nan的de工gong作zuo。例li如ru，漢han語yu具ju有you相xiang當dang簡jian單dan的de語yu法fa，這zhe可ke能neng是shi一yi個ge解jie脫tuo。但dan是shi，它ta的de書shu麵mian語yu言yan使shi用yong數shu千qian個ge不bu同tong的de字zi

，每mei一yi個ge字zi代dai表biao一yi個ge詞ci或huo者zhe一yi個ge詞ci的de一yi部bu分fen。要yao熟shu記ji許xu多duo這zhe樣yang的de字zi是shi一yi項xiang你ni必bi須xu自zi己ji作zuo出chu決jue定ding你ni是shi否fou想xiang要yao承cheng擔dan的de任ren務wu。然ran而er，如ru果guo你ni正zheng在zai學xue習xi一yi種zhong使shi用yong拉la丁ding字zi母mu表biao的de語yu言yan
，你ni實shi在zai應ying該gai努nu力li學xue會hui如ru何he發fa音yin每mei個ge字zi母mu。通tong常chang，字zi母mu的de發fa音yin不bu同tong於yu該gai字zi母mu在zai英ying語yu中zhong的de發fa音yin，它ta們men通tong常chang都dou隻zhi有you一yi個ge聲sheng音yin。英ying語yu在zai這zhe裏li是shi古gu怪guai的de，我wo們men有you 5 個元音字母以及大約 12 個元音。西班牙語、捷克語、德語等…則ze一yi致zhi得de多duo，這zhe意yi味wei著zhe它ta們men的de字zi母mu表biao使shi得de該gai語yu言yan學xue起qi來lai更geng容rong易yi。當dang然ran，外wai邊bian還hai有you許xu多duo其qi它ta的de係xi統tong。阿e拉la伯bo語yu和he希xi伯bo來lai語yu一yi般ban隻zhi寫xie輔fu音yin
，日ri語yu有you每mei個ge音yin節jie所suo用yong的de符fu號hao（總共大約 50 個）,加上代表單詞的特殊日本漢字。但是請記住
，你在這裏的任務隻是要學習到足以讀取街麵的標誌和超市的標簽即可。

    ruguonizailvxingzhiqianyijingnulizhangwoleyixieyuyan
，nizainidemudedihuidedaogenghaodijiedai。meigedifangdedangdirendouxihuanzhidaonizuochulenuliqujiangyixietamendeyuyan。zuizhongyaodeshi
，xuexiyizhongxindeyuyannengyiyizhongmeiyoubiededongxinenggouzuodaodefangshilaikuozhannidetounao。nijuebuzhidaonihuodedezhishizaishenmeshihoukeyipaishangyongchang。