In the global village, English is the language of business. It's easy to get complacent as a native English speaker when it comes to learning other languages. But I've learned in all my travels, as I'm sure many others have that speaking a bit of the local language goes along way. It shows in one way or the other that you care that you're a guest in someone's country, and you're open to connecting.
Not so long ago, I found myself struggling to figure out the right train to get on in Tokyo. My Japanese friends had written a few handy phrases, but that didn't really help much when people asked additional questions. I came back ready to shop for a translator I could take anywhere.
If you have an Iphone, there are tons of multi-lingual translators to check out. But so far, I think the "ultimate global interpreter," is the Voyager 4. It's a 14-language talking translator, covering Japanese, Russian, Chinese, Italian, Hebrew, Spanish and more.
With a built-in recorder, alarm clock and a New Oxford American Dictionary, it's pretty efficient. You put in the words or phrases. It spits out the foreign language equivalent and shows you how to pronounce the phrases as well as "articulates the translation in a crystal clear voice."
It's a stylish little gadget that also includes a metric and currency converter. I like it.
- Denise
Website
Voyager 4 - Lingo Translators
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