Translation Apps can Bridge Cultural Gaps

Encountering different languages and cultures can be a great learning experience for students and teachers alike. However, no matter how good communications are, a teacher may not be able to understand the specific point a student is making. This can be overcome with a translation app.

In these days of diverse and different languages appearing in the classroom, it can be a great learning and teaching experience, but there can be difficulties. Of course, there are dictionaries and language resources in the classroom. However, if a student speaks a specific dialect or relates to an event that only takes place in a specific region, it can be frustrating. It can even become a block to communication, making it unable to translate exactly what the student is trying to say.

This is where translation applications come into play. If the teacher has their smartphone and a translation app they can speak or type into the app and it will either give them a text translation or indeed a voiced version. However, for it to work effectively the student must have their smartphone as well.

Picture the scene. The class is talking about food, and the new Ukrainian student is talking about a dish he loves, however, the teacher doesn’t understand him. So, as is common practice, the teacher may refer to other students from the same country. If they have better language competencies, they may relate to the student and possibly offer an explanation. After some brief discussions among the students, they may seem to understand what he is saying but are at a loss as to how to express it.

This is where translation apps can be a lifesaver. The student takes out their smartphone with the translation app on it, types in or speaks the phrase and they will have an immediate translation. If the student doesn’t have the app, then they will have to use the teacher’s. The teacher will have to reset their language settings, their keyboard and possibly speech settings too. There is also the risk of the student accidentally seeing the teacher’s holiday photos or their K-pop fan posts.

For translation apps to work most effectively, the teacher should have the app and keyboard, set to, for example, English to Ukrainian and the student can have their keyboard set to Ukrainian to English. This way they will both be able to communicate without altering each other’s settings and risk invading each other’s smartphone privacy when looking at the translation on screen.

This has the added benefit of creating a digital record. The student will have a record of the phrase on their app and the teacher will have a record of the issue on their own. This allows each to share and discuss their translation history with their peers or schoolmates. It also can be useful in identifying recurring issues.

If the teacher notices that the student has persistent issues with, for example, conditional sentences, they can suggest or supply additional exercises to help the student in that particular area. Also, it may highlight a language issue that other students from the same language background may have but may have gone unnoticed.

Not only are translation apps useful for difficult language scenarios, but they may also help shy students. When a student is in a new language environment, it can be difficult or intimidating for them to speak out in class. However, with the app, they might have a bit more confidence, even if it is just asking for clarification.

Translation apps can be useful tools in a classroom with multiple language backgrounds. They can solve cultural confusion and speed up the process of understanding the student. Instead of standing there trying to glean what the student is struggling to explain, the confusion can be quickly mitigated.

The author

Dr. John Jennings

Dr. John Jennings is an educational theorist from Galway, he has a PhD in TESOL with research in Social-Media and Education. He has researched the perceptions that students have of Social-Media in Education and how it affects their interaction with the academic world. He is also an avid virtual runner

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