• language software home

Comparison


Reviews


Other Software


About


Resources

free

Valid XHTML 1.0 Transitional
April 5, 2011

Technology Is Awesome: Quicktionary

Have you heard of the Quicktionary?  I just came across it today and it looks like an excellent tool for language learners who are trying to do some reading in their target language.

Basically, it’s a handheld scanner with an integrated OCR and translation software. To use it, simply aim the scanner part at the text you want to process.  It will grab the text and show it on the built-in display, which you can then choose to translate into a language you can better understand.  Supposedly, the device can read and translate in seven different languages, as well as store up to 20,000 lines of text.

Chances are, something like this will be a pain to use if you’re totally oblivious about a language.  If you have a working ability, though, you can use it to quickly scan and translate sentences you can’t understand while reading books and magazines in the foreign language.

As you’ve probably heard from many language teachers, reading materials in a target language is a great way to learn new words and phrases that you can integrate into your vocabulary.   It’s a good secondary activity to engage in on top of your regular language software  lessons.  Having a tool like the Quicktionary definitely sounds faster than having to open a dictionary every single time.

 

March 11, 2011

Five Gadgets You Can Use In Language Learning

It’s a gadget-infested world we’re living in. Fortunately, those electronic toys aren’t only good for fun and games — you can use them in your language learning efforts, too.

Here are some ideas:

1. iPod. You can use your iPod (or any other music player) to listen to lessons and vocabulary practice while on the go.
2. Voice recorder. I highly recommend recording yourself using the language and playing it back. Listening to yourself speak gives you an opportunity to evaluate your current abilities, confirming areas you think you’re good at and finding faults that you can improve on.
3. Electronic dictionary. An electronic dictionary gives you a handy translator you can quickly pull out and use any time you need to find a word or phrase. While electronic dictionaries are still available, they’ve been replaced, for the most part, by smartphone apps.
4. Ebook reader. If you prefer a little reading to supplement your language studies, an ebook reader should come in handy. Unless, of course, you still prefer old school paperbacks for reading.
5. Personal computers. You know how much we love language software around here. As such, it isn’t surprising a computer will figure in our list. Just note that the definition of computers is ever shrinking — those powerful smartphones can easily qualify as one.

April 13, 2010

Electronic Travel Translators for Language Learning

With cellphones, UMPCs and other small computers finding their way into people’s bags and pockets, many folks are assuming that electronic translators have mostly gone out of style. While that may be true to some extent, I am yet to see a software for one of those versatile handhelds do the same specialized service that electronic translators provide. And it is for that reason that you will still find people leaving their iPods and PDAs at home when they’re on a trip, choosing to slip a personal travel translator in their pocket instead.

Electronic translators, at the core, are basically digital dictionaries. However, with advancing technology, they now do plenty of additional functions beyond giving you the equivalent of one word in your target language. Many of them now incorporate features such as immediate translation of complete phrases for various situations, vocabulary practice exercises, language games and more.

If you’re traveling, an electronic translator will come very handy, probably more so than equivalent software designed for cellphones and other handheld devices. Need to ask for directions but don’t know how to string a proper question together? Just find the equivalent phrase on the travel translator and it can do all the talking for you.

Do you need one? If you’re spending most of your time learning from a language practice software at home, only occasionally going out of your way to practice with fellow learners or a group, then you probably won’t need one. What would you do with it, after all, when you’re grocery shopping, catching a movie at the local theater or eating lunch at McDonald’s? However, if you’ve been looking for some portable language learning, these travel translators usually have a number of programs exactly for that built in, making it a better option compared to downloading stuff for your iPod or other makeshift methods.
Like this post?
Home | Sitemap