The main subjects of interest during summer holidays are travelling, relaxation in faraway countries, and seeing new places. For many people, the language barrier can then become a problem, causing them to avoid contact with foreigners and lose the opportunity to get acquainted with other countries’ cultures. During an era ruled by the internet and mobile devices, we can quickly find
a solution to this problem. In such a case, how to go on vacation and not worry about not knowing the language? The answer is a variety of web pages and translation apps.
First aid
In a situation when using a foreign language is necessary, we can work with many resources, most of which we are already familiar with. One of the examples can be Google Translator – an extremely popular tool, often perceived as too literal and inefficient. The latter, however, changes with the increase of opportunities related to Artificial Intelligence and machine translation. Google Translator will come in handy when the meaning of a text has to be checked quickly and the accuracy of the translation is not necessary. Then it can definitely make travelling much easier.
Another popular and, at the same time, well developed means of machine translation is Microsoft Translator – an app that offers real-time translation of conversations, image translation of signs and menus , as well as phrasebooks, useful to every tourist.
Waygo App
During more distant travels, particularly those in Asia, the Waygo app can be extremely helpful, as it can translate Chinese, Japanese, and Korean characters using image scanning and does not require an internet connection. It is an immensely useful tool, as not many tourists know the numerous characters required for writing in those languages, so finding them on a keyboard would be very time-consuming. One disadvantage of this app is the fact that it translates only to English, so the target audience is limited.
iTranslate
iTranslate and iTranslate Voice are the most all-purpose apps available. The basic version of the app can be used only for written translations, but the Voice version allows real-time translation of conversations; it transcribes oral conversations and allows you to save selected phrases and words for further use.
When going on vacation, we visit various countries, so it is only natural that sometimes we will need some sort of language support. Apps that reinforce communication in foreign languages enable everybody to enjoy an ongoing vacation and experience the culture of faraway places.
