When Billy Joel sang about a “New York State of Mind” he was talking about going home to the Big Apple.
27.07.2023 - 18:54 / smartertravel.com
Over the past decade, language apps like Google Translate have unsurprisingly failed to make language learning obsolete. Unfortunately for monolinguals, (which make up about three-quarters of the United States) speaking another language isn’t quite as simple as typing a sentence into your smartphone.
Anyone who’s attempted to use Google Translate in a language class likely learned this the hard way. Since its launch in 2006, Google’s word-based algorithm hasn’t been accurate enough to reliably form full, grammatically correct sentences. Most language instructors can immediately recognize when a student has used a translation app. To be able to accurately translate a language at length you’re better off studying up—perhaps using Google Translate as a word dictionary.
But the new Google Translate aims to change that. This September the app received an entirely new translation system aimed at “bridging the gap between human and machine translation.” Google researchers have said the new system is nowhere near perfect, but that it reduces errors by an average of 60 percent. On top of a new camera-based feature that allows you to translate written characters with the lens of a smartphone, plus a new offline mode, the increased accuracy makes the already popular free app a pretty incredible translator.
How well could Google Translate work for you? I tested it to find out. Here’s how Google Translate rates for English speakers when it comes to some popular languages, plus the pros and cons of using it on your next trip.
Related: 12 Travel Apps You Need on Your PhoneCamera-Based Translation Is Handy, But Limited
Of Google Translate’s 103 available languages, 40 can be translated through your camera. In other words, you can aim your lens or take a photo of written words, highlight the part you want to translate, and get text of the translation—which is perfect when you’re surrounded by words written in alphabet characters you can’t read.
This may sound revolutionary, but I find this feature to be a little complicated. The camera-based translation has two modes: ‘seeing’ live translations through a phone’s lens, and getting translations from photos you’ve taken. The two are quite similar, but the photo-based version is handier and seems to be more accurate. On the downside, it isn’t available in as many languages as the live translations. Here’s Google’s example of the live translation mode, courtesy of La Bamba:
Getting the live translation in character-based languages can be trickier. When I translated a friend’s written Arabic to English I found the live translation to be shakier than photo-based ones—it requires a steady hand. The app also didn’t give me the option to do a camera-based translation unless
When Billy Joel sang about a “New York State of Mind” he was talking about going home to the Big Apple.
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