Can we trust travel translation apps?
26th May 2021
The borders are slowly opening up, and holidaymakers are ready to go. It’s been a long wait and many of us are eager to jet off for a well-deserved break.
Travelling allows you to immerse yourself in different locations, languages, and cultures. But to do it properly you need to be able to communicate in the local language.
While learning the local lingo can help, many of us lack the time to do it properly before departure. This is where translation apps come in handy. They are built with one sole purpose in mind, which is improving communication by breaking down language barriers. But how accurate are they really?
I’m bilingual, but my parents don’t speak English, so they communicate with my partner using translation apps. Over the years we’ve tested a few different translation apps and as much as they are getting closer to using a natural language, the artificial intelligence (AI) behind them is far from perfect.
Firstly, translation produced by translation apps is not very accurate and, in some cases, hard to understand.
They aren’t usable for long, in-depth conversations. These apps work best when spoken to slowly, clearly and in short sentences. They struggle to understand the slang, dialects, or proverbs, so avoid these or be prepared for some surprised faces.
A few examples of Polish – English translation fails from Google Translate:
- Coś jest nie tak – Something is no yes (something’s not right)
- Pierwsze koty za płoty – First cats behind the fences (The first pancake is always spoiled)
- Mówić bez ogródek – Talk without little garden (straight from the shoulder)
- Po jakiego grzyba – For what mushroom (why on earth…?)
Secondly, online translation tools are susceptible to gender stereotyping.
Some languages (such as English) don’t have gender nouns, while others (such as German or Polish) do. When translating from English to Polish, translation tools must decide which gender to assign English words like “hairdresser”. Often, the tools follow the stereotype, opting for the female word in Polish.
Thirdly, there is (an awkward) lag in real time translation.
I remember my mum sitting down to have a coffee with my partner’s mum. They had the Google Translate app in the middle of the table hoping it would help the conversation flow, but it was far from perfect. The lag in translation combined with translation inaccuracy made it difficult to follow the conversation.
In short, translation apps are great for brief, simple conversations. If you need to know how far the nearest shop is or if you want to order a drink, go ahead, you will be fine.
Anything more complex than that and I would proceed with caution. Perhaps use them for more complex conversations if you already know some of the language, but need them to help you boost your vocabulary and fill the gaps.
