As exciting as traveling abroad can be, it can also be intimidating if you haven’t brushed up on the local language. If you have no familiarity whatsoever, it can be truly terrifying. Fortunately, a new feature for Google Translate powered by the company’s AI model Gemini will help make sure you’re not spending the night before a long trip cramming foreign verb conjugations directly into your brain.
Google Translate has now introduced AI-powered live translations to iPhone and Android, which translates a multitude of languages in real-time, and it can easily be accessed directly from the main page of the app. Along with this new feature that’s certain to make conversations easier while traveling, Google is also delivering new practice sessions powered by Gemini so that you can brush up on your foreign language verbal or reading comprehension skills as you wait for your next flight out of town.
Currently, the new live translation feature is only available for users in Mexico, India, and the U.S., and the number of languages available with the new practice feature are rather limited, as well. However, anyone with an interest in foreign language or traveling abroad should also remember that Google’s Circle to Search updated its translating features, making things even easier when you’re exploring webpages that aren’t in your native tongue. Google Maps also added a feature that has Gemini identifying locations from screenshots, which can be a real lifesaver when on the move.
Google’s new Translate features perfect for travelers
Posted on the company’s blog, Google announced that live translations have arrived to the Translate app for both Android and iOS. The new feature now allows individuals to have a mixed-language conversation in real-time, and the app translates entire conversations with audio and on-screen captioning before your very eyes. Simply open the Translate app on your device and then select Live translate. Choose your languages, and Gemini will then begin live translating the conversation in over 70 different languages, including English, French, Romanian, Greek, Japanese, Zulu, and more.
The new update promises to quickly switch between the two languages being spoken, and Google states Gemini is good for “intelligently identifying conversational, pauses, accents and intonations,” meaning it’s going to pick up the little details of your chat. Google also mentions that its speech and voice recognition AI models have been trained to isolate sounds, meaning it can perform even if you’re on a crowded bus or subway station.
Along with new live translations backed by AI, Google is also bringing a new “language practice feature” to the app that will help you practice a particular language through speaking and listening practice sessions. Simply press Practice within the Translate up to set your goals and skill level. The app will then generate scenarios where you can listen and tap words you hear or you can practice speaking while the app provides hints. Right now, the practice portion allows English speakers to practice French or Spanish, and Spanish, Portuguese, or French speakers to practice English.
