Story
30 Words is Born!We began working
on 30 WORDS in September 2008. Drawing from our own experiences
on the road, our objective was to build focused and practical language guides for
travelers. Our efforts were driven by a few core beliefs.
Firstly, interacting with locals is a key aspect of any fulfilling, exciting,
and educational travel experience. Secondly, while language fluency requires
years of practice, anyone can step off a plane with the ability to greet
a host, buy a train ticket, or ask for a hotel recommendation. Our
experience taught us that just 30 words can be the difference
between a mundane travel experience
and an unforgettable adventure!
Finally, we believe presenting key words and phrases in an efficient
and accessible format is the key to successful and lively communication.
Try asking a Mongolian wrestler or a skilled Chinese street vendor to
wait as you search for the right word!
Insights
from the Road
One of the
great benefits of learning to speak a language on the road is that anyone
can be your teacher. During our travels we discarded thick phrase
books in favor of concise guides built with the help of locals.
Our experience
building guides for ourselves, as well as students and friends, and
observing how travelers interact with a new language, illustrated that
travelers would be better served by a new style of language
guide. 30 WORDS' unique design reflects
the following observations:
- A useful language guide should fit in your pocket - not your waist belt or backpack - your pocket. If it can't fit in your pocket, you are likely to leave your language guide behind when you most need it. 30 WORDS are small enough and light enough to be taken anywhere, so any situation can become an opportunity to speak or learn a new language.
- A language guide should be durable. If you can't take it to the beach, or keep it with you while riding a bike, it is not going to survive long on the road. 30 WORDS guides have survived impressive feats of strength! From karate chops, to trips through the wash, we test our guides to ensure they will survive even the most rugged circumstances.
- The ideal language guide should be customizable to accommodate individual's unique interests. Each of us has different ambitions on the road. Some set off to hitchhike to Kathmandu, while others dream of teaching a class full of eager students in Swaziland. Whatever your goals or interests, 30 WORDS unique online platform has the 30 words you need to find the heart of your adventure!
- Proper translation and pronunciation is essential. Once you lose faith in your guide's accuracy, you are less likely to use it. We test our pronunciation systems on the least talented linguists we can find; if these folks can get by using our pronunciation system, we are sure you can as well!
Why We Do
What We Do.
We build
30 WORDS Language Guides to help you get the most out of your experiences
abroad. We love the road, particularly the road less traveled. Traveling
among fascinating cultures has wedded us to the idea that a traveler's
most valuable possessions are a broad smile (trite but true) and the
ability to communicate even a handful of phrases in the local language.
This combination will open doors and lead to adventures you could scarcely
imagine when planning your trip. So, when hitting the road, we encourage
you to veer off the beaten path, travel with gusto and grace, chase down adventure...and most importantly, always carry your 30
WORDS!
Cheers,
Andrew & Erin,
Founders of 30 WORDS