Wednesday 22 August 2012

What Should a Good App for Translation Have?


Being an ardent traveler, you must have been to places that don’t have English as the main language. In fact, in some of the remote regions English is no better than an alien language. Your jitteriness at such places is pretty obvious. No wonder you find yourself apologizing for one or the other thing in the wake of avoiding any cultural blunder that might happen due to your ignorance.

                                     
However, with technology at your rescue, these issues aren’t that gruesome as they might appear. You can always use your powerful smartphone to get some useful app for translation installed on it. A travel app of this kind is definitely a good assistance to have when it comes to setting conversations with locals. Don’t mistake such an app for translation for a full-fledged lexical tool. But these generally have sets of important words or phrases suitably picked for traveling requirement.

Now the real problem is that these app stores are literally flooding with such apps for translation sporting considerable price-tags. This means you should have your eyes and ears open before shelling out money to snap one for yourself. First of all you have to be very clear about your requirements. That is, whether you’re looking for a rather comprehensive app for translation, or just a smart travel app to manage needed conversations on the go. However, there are chances that you come across an app that somewhat fits in both the brackets.

Once you’ve zeroed in about what you need, the next step involves scanning the app for its features and usability. This is a critical step in selecting an app for translation. A complicated app in terms of features or navigation is nothing but a sheer waste of money and time. It’s recommended to be watchful and inquisitive while sifting through the lite or demonstrative versions of any app. Spend some time with the app and try and go through all its screens properly. Check out if the learning methods described in the app go well with your style of learning, and if the navigation menus are easy to negotiate.

Now comes the last yet certainly the most important aspect of selecting a good travel app - “value for money”. Carry out a comparative analysis before coughing up money for an app for translation. Scan most of the popular apps across various parameters to get a feel. Go to users’ ratings, comments, and feedbacks. You can also use social media for having a better idea.