No more carrying round a bulky phrasebook. New for this summer is iSpeak, downloadable phrasebooks for your iPod from publisher McGraw-Hill. Not only can they be used for practice prior to the trip, but manufacturers claim you'll be able to find your chosen word or phrase within three clicks.

Need to find an ATM in Barcelona? Simply scroll to the 'Bank' section in the 'Service and Shopping' category to find the phrase. Going to the Louvre? Go to the 'Museums and Galleries' category to find out how to ask for directions.

Currently available in Spanish, Italian, French and German, soon-to-be-released languages include Chinese, Japanese and Portuguese. The iSpeak downloadable discs cost £7.99.