If you’re off travelling, it’s a good idea to learn key phrases and have some local language in your back pocket. You can literally do this by having language apps on your phone or tablet, which can help you gain new skills and have the phrases at hand when you need them.
Below are suggestions for some of the best apps around for learning a language when you’re travelling. Whether you just want to learn some of the basics or you’re building on what you’ve already learned at a language school, apps are a great way of quickly translating words or accessing useful phrases.
Try a bit of Byki
This well-put-together app is compatible with both iPhone and Android systems. There are more than 30 languages on offer and you learn new skills from a flash card interface. You’ll be able to read and hear more than 1,000 key words and phrases as you work your way through different progress lists.
Google it!
Google is one of the internet pioneers and has a comprehensive language app. It is called Google Translate and contains text translations for 63 languages, spoken translations for 24 and voice input for 17. It provides an easy-to-use interface and you can save previous translations for offline access.
Vocre
Vocre is a unique language app, as the way it translates is slightly different. With this system you speak into the phone in one language, turn the phone upside down and it talks back to you in the translated version. It’s fun to use and the verbalisation of key words and phrases is a good learning tool.
Never feel on your own with Lonely Planet
Lonely Planet is a well-known name in the travel industry and it too has a useful language app. The app itself is free, but you do need to pay for each language you want to learn. The way this app works is you pick out your phrase from a list and the translated version will be played back to you in audio. There are over 30 languages on offer and around 600 phrases to choose from. This will be beneficial if you plan to stay at a cheap hotel in Penang, Malaysia for a few nights and have no idea how to ask for directions. Knowing a sentence or two will prevent you from spending too much on things that you know you can get for less.
Turn a foreign language into myLanguage
The myLanguage app has been on the market for a long time, and in that time it has become a well-developed product. It is renowned for having high-quality speech levels and there’s a range of different features on offer too. It has nearly 60 supported languages to choose from and you can upgrade from a free version to their flagship pro edition.
It’s a really good idea to learn some words and phrases that will help you out when you go travelling. Decent apps are a good way of doing this, as quality ones mean you can have those phrases to carry around with you.
