Translation Apps (Get your phone to speak a foreign language for you)

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simonhill
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Translation Apps (Get your phone to speak a foreign language for you)

Post by simonhill »

It often crops up when talking about touring abroad that some people are worried about language difficulties. Some even say it's reason enough not to go.

I'm sure most of you know, but for those that don't, there are now some great language translation apps you can get on your phone.

I use Google translate. I don't know how it rates, but I find it incredibly useful. How else would you ask for porridge oats in a Thai supermarket.

Like many, I can speak a bit of some languages, but writing even simple sentences Is different matter. In Spain last year, no one at hotel only a mobile number, so I wrote my message in the translation app then pasted the Spanish translation into a text message. Got a room.

Sorry if everyone knows but if even one finds it helpful, then worth posting.
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simonineaston
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Re: Translation Apps (Get your phone to speak a foreign language for you)

Post by simonineaston »

Bring back Esperanto, I say...
S
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glucas
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Re: Translation Apps (Get your phone to speak a foreign language for you)

Post by glucas »

Yeah, I would have to agree with this.

I use Google translate to check what I write in German. It is actually scarily good and has improved year on year. It carries out functional translation, often putting the most idiomatic and everyday expressions that a German would use.

I have never used it in Germany - as I have enough German to get by and in larger hotels etc, English is normally spoken well. But if the same quality of translation is present in other languages, then I would use the app if need be - for everyday situations such as booking into a hotel etc.
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PedallingSquares
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Re: Translation Apps (Get your phone to speak a foreign language for you)

Post by PedallingSquares »

A good few years ago now, maybe 10 or 12, I emailed my Aunt in France.She's lived there 45 years and is fluent.I decided to use Google Translate so it was in French.She emailed me back saying although she got the gist of it being English it would to a native French person be very confusing!She sent me the text I had sent her but she had used Google Translate to re-translate it to English and it was basically gobbledygook :lol: :lol:
I'm sure these translation tools are much better now!
simonhill
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Re: Translation Apps (Get your phone to speak a foreign language for you)

Post by simonhill »

One amazing feature I forgot to mention is the use of the camera in translation.

Open app, activate camera and point it at say a menu. In front of your eyes it will translate it. Probably not 100% accurate, but good enough to avoid the baked testicles.
millimole
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Re: Translation Apps (Get your phone to speak a foreign language for you)

Post by millimole »

simonineaston wrote:Bring back Esperanto, I say...
It never went away
Or
Ĝi neniam foriris
Leicester; Riding my Hetchins since 1971; Day rides on my Dawes; Going to the shops on a Decathlon Hoprider
millimole
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Re: Translation Apps (Get your phone to speak a foreign language for you)

Post by millimole »

I used both Google Translate and DeepL extensively while my wife was in a Spanish hospital recently.

The speech function was poor, mainly because of the lack of volume from the phone, but I also suspect there was an accent issue.

Most useful was to be able to write a short phrase and show the phone.

As someone else said Google Lens is excellent for the written word.
Leicester; Riding my Hetchins since 1971; Day rides on my Dawes; Going to the shops on a Decathlon Hoprider
delilah
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Re: Translation Apps (Get your phone to speak a foreign language for you)

Post by delilah »

I've found this app to be very good. You can either use it to translate text or spoken word
https://www.reverso.net/text-translation
Psamathe
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Re: Translation Apps (Get your phone to speak a foreign language for you)

Post by Psamathe »

I take a couple loaded on my phone but even where I don't speak any of the language I don't end-up using them. In practice I've always found that if the person you're talking to wants to communicate then you'll manage and if they don't you wont.

That said I can see a use for them for e-mail/texting.

Sometimes I've been in countries where the language is challenging (and localised) to the point where I don't even try to go beyond a couple of words e.g. tonal languages like Vietnamese. In Burma I was trying to find the name of an amazing tree I was seeing around and ended-up getting somebody to write down the name in Burmese and even typing it into my iPhone using the Burmese keyboard was a real challenge!

When choosing a translator app, check what languages can be downloaded for offline use as the supported offline languages differ for different apps.

Ian
simonhill
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Re: Translation Apps (Get your phone to speak a foreign language for you)

Post by simonhill »

Ian, I agree about communicating in general, but I think it is the odd word that these are most useful for.

I mentioned above about oats (porridge). Yesterday when speaking to the lady who runs current stopover I tried to explain my breakfast. She's Thai, but spoke good English worked in Ireland for 2 years, had spent time in UK. So language no problem, but how do you explain porridge. Using the app for that one word explained everything.
nirakaro
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Re: Translation Apps (Get your phone to speak a foreign language for you)

Post by nirakaro »

"Time flies like an arrow: fruit flies like a banana."
Guaranteed to fox your translation app! :D
mr riff raff
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Re: Translation Apps (Get your phone to speak a foreign language for you)

Post by mr riff raff »

simonhill wrote: 19 Nov 2022, 12:58pm One amazing feature I forgot to mention is the use of the camera in translation.

Open app, activate camera and point it at say a menu. In front of your eyes it will translate it. Probably not 100% accurate, but good enough to avoid the baked testicles.
But what if you wanted baked testicles?
Politicians are wonderful people as long as they stay away from things they don't understand, such as working for a living.
djb
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Re: Translation Apps (Get your phone to speak a foreign language for you)

Post by djb »

Porfe, Tengo ganas de comer huevos de toro tostado, tiene?

(Just made that up with my street type Latin American Spanish. Can't say I've ever asked for that in real life!)

And while I haven't used this technology much, its quite amazing isn't it?
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