Many workplaces are run on the basis of communication. Whether it be in an office, a sports team, a classroom, etc. None of these settings can thrive without an established and effective communication system. Specifically in a classroom, it is important for the educator to be able to meet the needs of their students. Doing so allows the educator to be able to transfer their knowledge and practices onto the student much more effectively. However, a common barrier that comes up regarding communication is linguistic differences.
That’s where Microsoft Translate comes in! Microsoft Translate is a multilingual machine translation cloud service provided by Microsoft. It is a completely free-to-use service that provides a bridge between communicating in different languages.

Here are some essential features that Microsoft Translate offers!

• Language Detection
  • Have you ever come into possession of a sign, pamphlet, poster, or any other piece of text and not known what language it was written in? Well Microsoft Translator’s Language Detection can automatically detect the language used in your source text, telling you exactly what language the text is written with. Accompany this feature with its default translate feature and you successfully deciphered the secret text!
• Bilingual Dictionary
  • Many people find themselves trying to quickly find the best translation for a specific word. Some may struggle to look for an alternative way to translate a particular word in a sentence. You may have trouble finding out what that one word means in a sentence you are trying to translate. You may even simply just want to discover new words you might not have learned yet. The Microsoft Translate Bilingual Dictionary can help you with all of these concerns. It is a very resourceful tool that is useful in dire situations, as well as for simple curiosity!
• Transliteration
  • When learning a new language, or even just trying to speak a different language, many are often faced with embarrassment after failing to pronounce words correctly. In some cases, mispronouncing a word could even give the word a completely different meaning! An easy way to attempt to avoid this is with Microsoft Translator’s Transliteration feature. This provides you with the ability to know how a word is pronounced. Simply by typing the word in, or even taking a picture of the script, an automated voice in the language of your choice will repeat the word in the correct pronunciation!
• Live Conversation
  • Most effective on a mobile device using the Microsoft Translate App, their live conversation feature allows you to have a live conversation with someone else who speaks a different language. Simply by connecting to your microphone, you can speak into your phone and the App does the rest. The app listens to your words, comprehends the information, and translates it into the language of your partner. Ultimately, it plays the translated sentence out loud for the other person to hear. This quick and simple process gives endless opportunity to those trying to mingle with others who are separated by means of language.

While it may sound silly to say, language should not be a reason why communication is failing in today’s classroom! With the technology of today, the classroom can be a much more inclusive setting. With this inclusivity, the students are given a safe place to learn, experience life, and absorb information that progress their communication skills.

As an aspiring educator, I am always looking for ways to be able to attend to my future students’ needs. Growing up in such a diverse community, I have seen first hand what it is like to be limited in a classroom due to language barriers. No one’s education path should be hindered due to their ethnicity and background. That is why I think services like Microsoft Translate are essential to the world of academia. 

Thanks For Reading!

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