Whether it’s learning a new language, or accessing live and automated translators to help bridge the gap between two different languages, apps can help.
With Flitto, all you need to do is take a photo of a menu or some other text you can’t understand, and one of its two million users will get to work translating it for you – for free. The app works on a point system: users earn points by completing translation requests, and can then request a translation themselves in exchange for a defined number of points. Translations happen very quickly, and are done by users around the world.
Travellers having trouble communicating with foreign-language speakers can connect to a live translator, who will act as a bridge between the two languages. With VerbalizeIt, simply select the language you need translated and, at the touch of a button, you will instantly be connected to one of over 8,500 live translators around the world. Put your phone on speakerphone, connect to VerbalizeIt and, voila!, you can now communicate with anyone, regardless of whether the two of you speak the same language, for between $1 and $2 per minute.
Chinese, with its thousands of chracters, is a challenging language to master before a trip to East Asia. Luckily, Waygo can help you get by. Simply use the camera on your iPhone to take a photo of a sign or menu you need translated into English, and the app will take care of the rest, using a technology called optical character recognition (OCR) to detect the characters in an image so that they can be translated. The app also works offline, which means you can use it while abroad without accumulating roaming charges.
Duolingo turns learning a new language into a game. Languages are broken down into levels, from basic to advanced, that users must master before proceeding to more challenging levels. Each level contains ten components – exercises broken down into things such as nouns and verbs – which users need to complete before losing the four “lives” provided for each lesson. Using a mixture of flashcards, picture recognition, voice recognition and other tactics, the components are fun and addictive, and fast enough to complete in under ten minutes.
Free | iPhone : Spanish, Italian, German and French
Rosetta Stone’s Navigator apps serve as pocket references for Spanish, Italian, German and French. The apps teach travellers the basics of these languages using voice-recognition to get foreign speakers comfortable hearing themselves speak the languages out loud, and with correct pronunciation. The app is divided into basic topics, such as words used to meet new people, dining out and getting directions. Each app includes free lessons, but eager students can also purchase more for a fee.
