There is a specific piece of tech that has caught my attention for a long time. Out of all the advancements, the translator earbuds have been the most interesting to me. they are Bluetooth earbuds that connect to an app that translates any language in real-time to the users’ native or selected language. The development of language translation devices has led to more accurate, convenient, and accessible communication across language barriers.
History shows that people have been trying to create translation devices since the 17th century. Inventors by the names of John Wilkins and Athanasius Kircher worked together to design mechanical devices with rotating dials which contained various words and phrases in different languages. Users would have to align the dials to form sentences in the targeted language. However, while these primitive machines could only produce a limited range of phrases and limited results, they were a precursor to the modern language translation devices we know today. Services used were phrasebooks and pocket translators which can be seen being used in some movies and shows which are also known as language dictionaries in said movies and shows. Despite this, they did lack accuracy and flexibility as it is similar to carrying an English dictionary or thesaurus to help form sentences at, say, a cafe.
Other services for translating electronically didn’t appear until the 1970s and 80s. They were small screens with built-in databases of words and phrases. This allowed users to input a word or phrase in one language which then turns it into another on display. Until the 90s, pocket-sized translators provided voice and text input which helped collect accurate and differences in dialects and languages and pronunciation. It gave a more accurate way of helping users pronounce and translate quicker.
Then came the 21st century. The new century gave way to technology advancements and developments, especially in the translating aspect. Mobile apps and sites such as Google Translate, gave way to speech-to-speech translations and communications. With the developing accuracy and databases, it helped users access other languages for education or communication in a much easier and accessible way. With more databases and develop in technology and AI(artificial intelligence) it has made pronouncing select languages more accurate.
All this to say that translating technology has come so far, enough for companies to develop earbuds that use speech-to-speech technology for real-time translation. It allows for accurate and quick translation and communication between language barriers and limits the need to take more time with typing or looking in a book. However, despite the amazing features and incredible developments, there are drawbacks like every advancement in tech. People have noticed a slight inaccuracy or mistranslation/communication when it comes to dialects in certain languages and even accents. However, developments and advancements are being made to handle these problems.
I do love the idea of translation earbuds because I have a huge family that speaks many languages as they all grew up in different places. It could help me communicate with them without having to learn another language (I am still learning French). These earbuds are available for purchase on many sites and can help reduce barriers between customers and service workers or even family like my own.
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