Language barriers can be life-threatening when you get sick in a foreign country and don't know how to explain it to your doctor.

Your heart is beating fast, your palms are getting sweaty and breathing is labored. You know you have probably come down with a cold, but what if your illness is more serious?

Ideally, that's when an interpreter is called to the scene. But if none is available, "going high-tech" could be one alternative.