Me No Speak: Breaking Down the Barriers with Photos

Me No Speak Language Companion is a new picture-based phrase book for English speakers who want to get their point across in a Beijing taxi or a Thai noodle bar. What makes this phrasebook different (and better) is that it doesn’t require you to speak the language.

Menospeak books are a simple, culturally respectful way to navigate through China, Japan and Thailand — where the degree of difficulty on the language barrier is compounded by the fact that most English speakers can’t even read signs. Each passport-sized book has clean illustrations and critical phrases about food, money exchange, transportation and bathrooms, printed in English and the local language, so all you need to do is open to the page and point.

Their motto: “when language fails, a picture really is worth a thousand words”. They explain it like this:

"When you can’t say it or mime it, point to it. Unlike typical phrase books, Me No Speak doesn’t require you to pronounce a foreign language, but provides help communicating in the simplest way-by pointing at what you want to say-so you can travel with confidence. Our language companions are designed to fit in your pocket and enable easy interactions on-the-go."

Via PSFK