Arguably, it is hard for an iPhone/iPod/phone app to keep you safe, especially when it is a phrasebook/language guide. The 'travel safety' and 'travel health' sections of the app are fairly thorough, especially in comparison to other apps of a similar nature. Admittedly, I do find those sections in the Spanish phrasebook by lastminute.com slightly more thorough - especially the health section. In this respect, they do stick to their motto of ''keep travelling safely'', although I hope they're not using this as their main hook.
Moving onto the other sections, unlike with some of their other language guides, every section has audio alongside the written text if you tap the little box the word is in. With some apps, I find it incredibly frustrating how audio is only available on some phrases - especially because a pronunciation section is incredibly rare with a phrasebook/language guide style app. The sections are as follows: basics, instructions, directions, transport, places to stay, travel safety, travel health, food and eating, numbers, times and dates, and flirting. There is also the option to upgrade to the Language Guide Plus.
The title 'Language Guide' is perhaps a little misleading - this app is absolutely a phrasebook. I assume the 'Language Guide' comes from the fact that you can opt to take a 'Language Lesson' in which you will hear an Australian pretend to be foreign (the Croatian one is incredibly cringeworthy) and another Australian receive a lesson in the language while in a random situation (Croatian was someone had hurt their leg).
As with all phrasebooks apps, this one is not going to match up to if you were to go out and purchase a whole phrasebook. Luckily, this version of the app is free. The Language Guide Plus version costs £1.49, which I have never downloaded because my level of Spanish is way above the level of the app. Because of my level of Spanish, there are a few things I question - firstly, the app translates 'Internet' to 'Internet/la web' and 'Email' to 'Email'. I have only ever heard Internet as Internet or la Red, and email as un correo electronico. I also don't understand why these are in the basics section - alongside 'yes', 'thank you' etc. Secondly, the app seems to like making use of different tenses and conjugations. For instance, it would be just as easy to say ''Hay habitaciones?", but the app says "Tienen habitaciones?". The travel safety section also has the translation for "Those drugs aren't mine!" - now, maybe it's just me, but if you've been caught with drugs in a foreign country, you're probably not going to be holding it together enough to get our your iPod/phone and look the phrase up... Finally, the flirting section only has two phrases in it, with a third box suggesting you upgrade to the plus version. I find this a little odd, because I can't imagine anyone reaching that part of the app and deciding they want to upgrade for more flirting phrases. There are more free apps (Lingopal lite, for example) that do this.
Overall, it's a pretty good app. I personally wouldn't buy the plus version for reasons already stated (level of Spanish), but the free version is worth a download. If you're downloading one of the less popular languages, audio will probably be missing - even the German app has audio missing...as does the French.
Have you used any of the World Nomads Language Guides? If so, leave us a comment to let us know how you got on with them :)
Besos ♥
Rachel
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