Language barriers drive expats insane!
Everything you do while living abroad, from buying a coffee to shopping for clothing, forces you to deal with numerous obstacles.
So what can be done? Is there a solution?
Well, if you are like most expats, you have tried a few methods out already.
You have tried to get by with electronic dictionaries and Google Translate. You enter a few words, and the website spits out a couple rough translations that may or may not be accurate.
After wrestling with online dictionaries for a while, you decide that it might be a better idea to study the language so you can communicate on your own.
You try to learn some basic phrases. Things become easier, but you are still in big trouble if you ever run into an emergency.
Finally, you decide that technology must have some kind of better solution. You break out your smartphone, and you begin searching.
You find some decent options, but there is a problemâEUR¦ Most translator apps are still falling short. (Some do better than others, but it is worth noting that the ones that do well are being excluded from this discussion.)
Why? Hasn't somebody realized that solving translation problems would revolutionize international travel?
Isn't there an IT guy out there somewhere that knows this is a problem that needs to be solved?
The truth is: translation is remarkably complex.
Here is why (MOST) translation apps fall short:
-----
Culture
No matter how proficient translation software is in using algorithms to translate a language, it misses out on the human element entirely. Without a deeper understanding of culture and context, technology is doomed to make mistakes.
Roughly 80% of communication is non-verbal, and technology completely misses out on these non-verbal cues.
Unless software has a human at the other end, working directly with you in real-time, you are missing out on a large chunk of what is being expressed.
-----
Dialect
China alone is home to roughly 11 dialects, and each one can be broken down further into dozens of "sub-dialects."
India, Russia, Indonesia, The Philippines and many parts of Africa also have hundreds of dialects that are impossible to navigate by simply relying on static, electronic translators.
In most of these situations, the help of a professional translator is required.
-----
Urgency
When you are experiencing a heart attack, you need help, and you need it immediately!
Slowly searching through an electronic dictionary and reading words off one at a time is not going to get you anywhere.
You want an experienced professional that can provide live voice translation services, and you will settle for nothing less.
Urgency and timing are by far the biggest reason most simple translator apps fall short.
-----
Emotion
Have you ever tried to argue with a significant other, in a second language?
If you have, you know that it is nearly impossible to get your point across when you are upset and not entirely fluent in another language.
This is another reason that electronic translators don't always work.
Sometimes, there is a lot of emotion in what is being said, and a dictionary can only translate literal meaning... it cannot translate feelings.
You would need a real-time translator or interpreter by your side to make all of these subtle emotional signals clear to the opposite party.
-----
So what can be done?
You really only have four options available to you.
1. You can do your best to become proficient in a second language. Learn a minimum of 500 words at first so you can go shopping, take a taxi or talk to your local coworkers.
If you plan on living abroad for more than a year, this is by far the wisest choice.
2. You can hire qualified translators through services such as Freelancer and Fiverr, but they often will only help with written translation, so it is a good idea to learn a bit of the spoken language.
3. You can hope that some genius comes along and creates an app that is not simply an electronic dictionary, but a full-blown "Uber" for all of your translation needs.
There are several companies working on this now, but to date, few apps have succeeded in making this a reality.
One way or another, solutions are out there.
4. Be positive! Things will inevitably get easier as time progresses, but for now, just be aware of the limitations of technology, and make sure that you prepare yourself accordingly.
Everything you do while living abroad, from buying a coffee to shopping for clothing, forces you to deal with numerous obstacles.
So what can be done? Is there a solution?
Well, if you are like most expats, you have tried a few methods out already.
You have tried to get by with electronic dictionaries and Google Translate. You enter a few words, and the website spits out a couple rough translations that may or may not be accurate.
After wrestling with online dictionaries for a while, you decide that it might be a better idea to study the language so you can communicate on your own.
You try to learn some basic phrases. Things become easier, but you are still in big trouble if you ever run into an emergency.
Finally, you decide that technology must have some kind of better solution. You break out your smartphone, and you begin searching.
You find some decent options, but there is a problemâEUR¦ Most translator apps are still falling short. (Some do better than others, but it is worth noting that the ones that do well are being excluded from this discussion.)
Why? Hasn't somebody realized that solving translation problems would revolutionize international travel?
Isn't there an IT guy out there somewhere that knows this is a problem that needs to be solved?
The truth is: translation is remarkably complex.
Here is why (MOST) translation apps fall short:
-----
Culture
No matter how proficient translation software is in using algorithms to translate a language, it misses out on the human element entirely. Without a deeper understanding of culture and context, technology is doomed to make mistakes.
Roughly 80% of communication is non-verbal, and technology completely misses out on these non-verbal cues.
Unless software has a human at the other end, working directly with you in real-time, you are missing out on a large chunk of what is being expressed.
-----
Dialect
China alone is home to roughly 11 dialects, and each one can be broken down further into dozens of "sub-dialects."
India, Russia, Indonesia, The Philippines and many parts of Africa also have hundreds of dialects that are impossible to navigate by simply relying on static, electronic translators.
In most of these situations, the help of a professional translator is required.
-----
Urgency
When you are experiencing a heart attack, you need help, and you need it immediately!
Slowly searching through an electronic dictionary and reading words off one at a time is not going to get you anywhere.
You want an experienced professional that can provide live voice translation services, and you will settle for nothing less.
Urgency and timing are by far the biggest reason most simple translator apps fall short.
-----
Emotion
Have you ever tried to argue with a significant other, in a second language?
If you have, you know that it is nearly impossible to get your point across when you are upset and not entirely fluent in another language.
This is another reason that electronic translators don't always work.
Sometimes, there is a lot of emotion in what is being said, and a dictionary can only translate literal meaning... it cannot translate feelings.
You would need a real-time translator or interpreter by your side to make all of these subtle emotional signals clear to the opposite party.
-----
So what can be done?
You really only have four options available to you.
1. You can do your best to become proficient in a second language. Learn a minimum of 500 words at first so you can go shopping, take a taxi or talk to your local coworkers.
If you plan on living abroad for more than a year, this is by far the wisest choice.
2. You can hire qualified translators through services such as Freelancer and Fiverr, but they often will only help with written translation, so it is a good idea to learn a bit of the spoken language.
3. You can hope that some genius comes along and creates an app that is not simply an electronic dictionary, but a full-blown "Uber" for all of your translation needs.
There are several companies working on this now, but to date, few apps have succeeded in making this a reality.
One way or another, solutions are out there.
4. Be positive! Things will inevitably get easier as time progresses, but for now, just be aware of the limitations of technology, and make sure that you prepare yourself accordingly.