Don’t Speak the Language? Carry It With You
Yes, more free stuff, read on for more….
This summer, when I was living in Madrid, my husband contracted Mumps. An unusual affliction, and before we knew what it could be, we were both panicked at what the softball sized lumps on his jaw could be. We both spoke a little Spanish, enough to do almost everything we needed in daily life. This wasn’t daily life. Suddenly I was presented with medical vocabulary I had never heard or studied before. What’s the word for swollen? Or allergies? Or insurance card?
At almost the same time, Pocket Comms were created.
They are a series of cards that use cartoon pictures to represent common things: including medical emergencies.
The great thing about these cards? They work. The UK police department has been testing them out with citizens who don’t speak English. Normally, they’d have to wait for an interpreter, while the suspect got away. With these cards, they can flip to card and have the victim point to things like: what happened and what the suspect looked like.
If you’re traveling and don’t speak the language, you can probably get by. But, I know for my husband’s medical emergency, having a way to communicate would have been extrememly helpful.
What do you think? Would you use these cards? Well here’s your chance to find out. The folks at Pocket Comms have very generously offered a free Pocket Comms to one of our readers. Comment to enter and next week, we’ll pick a winner!
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