Communication technology is getting better all the time, but how about their human users? They may still lag behind the times, as globalization brings people closer, while they can't speak to each other in a common language. Matt Gross, writer of the NY Times Frugal Traveler Blog, set out to find a way to improve...

The Chinese language is notoriously complex. There are the tones, the accents, and not to mention the writing! China and Singapore use simplified Chinese characters, while Hong Kong and Taiwan still use traditional Chinese characters. Then there are the different dialects. Mandarin is spoken in China, Taiwan, and Singapore. Hong Kong and China's southern Guangdong...