You already know that here at My Language Lab, we are all about helping learners find the best ways to ace their language goals.

We are also big fans of technology and how it can improve your learning journey. So after explaining you whether language apps work in general, our language experts teamed up with WIRED UK journalist Adam Speight to review the best translation apps currently on the market.

Translation apps are not only for language students — we kept into account the needs of holidaymakers who have to find their way around foreign towns and menus as well as those who need more precise translations. 

And if you think that you need to type foreign characters in to use these apps, then think again. Translation apps these days can help you in several ways and translate several input files such as:

• Text entry
• Live conversation voice audio
• Text from a picture
• Ongoing recorded audio
  

Some can translate offline, others are better at solving common contextual mistakes. Some prioritise vocabulary and usability, others have great translation history features that allow you to search for content that your app worked on in the past. We considered all these and more features and characteristics to assign scores, and we did not forget to mention prices.

Do not think that we have been too generous either — we love companies who come up with new ideas ad tools to help the world communicate, but we love communicators better and we have their interest at heart. Some apps scored as low as 4/10 because they currently do not add much value compared to the competition. Whether an app deserved a low score or an 8, we always listed pros and cons as well as providing the thought process behind the ratings.

Want to know a few big names we reviewed? Google Translate, Microsoft Translate and iOS Translate are all there. But there are newcomers too. Head over to the WIRED translation app article to find out more!

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And if you’re looking for ways to boost your foreign language knowledge and speed up your learning journey, get our free assessment online and find out what a personal tutor could do for you!