No matter how well educated you are, you won’t be able to speak or understand even a quarter of the world’s languages. And that’s for those who started learning while they were young, because as an adult, it’ll be far easier for you to become an olympic champion than to properly learn a new language. Not that you’re dumb, it’s just the way the brain is wired. Besides, we’re in the millennial age, no one wants to waste that much time learning how to speak a new language, when there are cool new challenges to partake in, #Drake#InMyFeelings.
So it’s a good thing that technology, in the form of translator devices, is catching up to solving this problem. Especially since the interconnectivity of the world’s population means everyone needs to communicate as effectively as possible. With how difficult it is navigating cultural barriers, there’s no need to add communication barriers to the mix. Fortunately, programmers, engineers and designers have collaborated in making some truly remarkable pieces of translator devices. Finding the right one for your needs, however, requires some careful research. So the first section of this article will be dealing with factors you’ll need to consider before making your purchase, before moving on to some of the highest rated devices in the market.
1. Franklin Electronic Spanish-English Learner BES – 4110-01
Great learning tool if you need to perfect a second language. It has a very wide vocabulary database, with 12 of the most used Spanish and English translation books conveniently fitted into one small device.
All translations can be heard in a human prerecorded voice. What’s unique about this device is that it has more than 25,000 words to picture illustrations, in its picture dictionary section. And just for fun, it has an interactive gaming section with spelling bees and other grammatical guides for both English and Spanish languages.
2. Franklin Merriam Webster Spanish – English Dictionary
Communicate effectively with this Merriam Webster’s dictionary which has a patented phonetic spelling correction. This is ideal for students learning Spanish, or the other way around, as it encourages fluent pronunciation of words. Every definition comes with its usage example, in the desired language, read out loud.
It has some of the most common misspelled words on SAT and TOEFL, and has crossword puzzles to help users build up a solid vocabulary. It’s a bit bigger than most of the devices on this list, but still portable.
3. BBK AM103 English – Chinese Pinyin Dictionary Translator
Great and indispensable tool for anyone visiting China or just learning Mandarin. The user interface is easy to use and designed for a native English speaker. It offers a two-way directional translation from English to Chinese and vice versa.
You’ll get clear pronunciations of Mandarin and English, so perhaps even Chinese people can use the device. It shows a pinyin and English phonetics in the display and features other traveling conveniences like a world clock, calculator and unit
4. Fosa Smart Language Translator Device
This electronic translator has a portable wireless translator headset with the ability to translate up to 16 different languages. It’s great for tourist as well as business travels. Its wireless connector, a bluetooth 4.1, allows transmission up to 10 meters away from the actual device.
Note, you’ll need to get the app on your device, which is compatible with both Apple and Samsung products. This works strictly when connected to the internet, and not offline.
5. ILI Instant Offline Language Translator Device
iLi allows you translate to other languages when you’re offline. So you can use this regardless of how remotely you travel. Note that this is a one-way translator, meaning you input in English only, and select the desired output language. You can’t input any other language.
It’s the brainchild of a Japanese firm, so it’s no surprise that this allows you translate to Spanish and two other Asian languages – Mandarin and Japanese. This is essentially for tourists who’ll want to ask for services properly, like ordering at a restaurant for example.
6. Aspiring Voice Translator, Smart Language Two Way
Two-way translator that works strictly with the internet. This means you can input multiple languages, and get the response in all 35 languages it translates to. It comes with an English manual, so if that’s not your first language, tough luck.
Built with a touchscreen and a 1500 MHA battery that can last up to 10 days on standby, and 6 hours during normal usage. When speaking into the MIC, you’re encouraged to place it at least 30cm in front of you, then speak at a normal pace without any accents, so you’ll get accurate translations.
7. Bestrans Intelligent Voice Translator
You’ll need to download the app to your phone (available on both iOS and Android), then connect the device via Bluetooth and viola! Since it requires an app, that means it works solely online.
It instantly translates 33 languages – four of which are different variations of English (UK, American, Indian? and Australian). The maximum wireless distance between your phone and the device is 10m, while the speech recognition distance is 1 meter.
8. Pulomi TT Easy Trans Smart Translator Device
Super small, pocket sized device that translates 52 unique languages. Control is done using an app “TT Fayuo”, which is available on both Play and Apple store. On really fast internet, it takes just a second or two for the translation to be transmitted. You can get it in text form on your phone as well as in audio format, which you can replay.
It has a single machine mode, plus a dual automatic and manual machine mode. Note that it translates any one of the 52 languages, to any of the remaining 51.
9. Carpuride 2.4″ Touch Screen Intelligent Voice Translator Device
Having translation troubles? This translator device allows you to translate over 40 different languages efficiently. It has a touch screen and an easy to use interface. Just select the input and output languages you want with a few clicks and your translation will be done in no time.
You don’t need an app for this device to work, just connect it to WiFi or a hotspot and get your operational language translated in real time (in both voice and text).
10. Aibecy Real Time Smart Language Translator
This instant translator supports more than 30 languages. It allows you select two languages, with the input language designated “A” and the output “B”. The device works online, so you’ll need to download the app to your iPhone or Android device. The device uses a 2.4G wireless connection to your phone. Note that you’ll need the code on the manual the device comes with to be able to access the app.
It comes with two microphones, one for input and the other, a denoising mic so that your voice is recorded with as much clarity as possible.
Factors To Consider When Choosing Translator Devices
Type Of Translator: You can either get a phone translator app, or get a separate device that translates for you. Generally, phone translator apps can’t translate as many languages as devices built specifically for translating languages. Besides, you’d have to rely on the quality of the phone’s speaker and voice input. If these input and output units don’t record or produce quality sounds, you’ll probably end up with the wrong phonetics.
Some translator devices, like those used by government facilities, link up with groups of linguists, who manually translate languages. They’re the most accurate, unfortunately, you probably won’t be able to access these types, so stick with what’s in the market.
Size: If you Google “translator devices”, you’ll see that they come in all shapes and sizes. Tourists are the ones that need the most help with translation, hence if you’re visiting other countries, it will make more sense for you to search for translator devices that are portable. You don’t want to carry something that will hinder your shopping experience or add to the no doubt heavy backpack you’ll carrying – there’s a reason bulky paper translation dictionaries are going extinct, and it’s not just because people have gotten too lazy to read.
Budget: You get what you pay for. The more expensive translator devices get, generally the better their features. So a device worth hundreds of dollars will probably be able to translate more languages, with more advanced technology, than a device that’s less than a hundred. This isn’t to say you should throw all your hard earned cash at the most pricey device in the market. Frankly some of those pricey ones may have features you’ll have no use for.
For example, do you REALLY need a device that translates more than 100 languages including Zulu? Remember most South Africans already speak English, and you may only be planning a short stay. The point is, buy your device according to your need. Don’t buy something with features you won’t even value.
Now that you’ve seen all these, let’s move on to translator devices with high ratings, as reviewed by users.
Final Thoughts
Translator devices come in different sizes and prices, some with more functions than others. As long as you have an idea about where you’ll be going and what you’ll be doing, you should find it easy to narrow down your choice of device.
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