Language is a funny thing-sometimes literally. But for more complex applications, a human translator provides significant benefits and the value added from cultural relevancy is hard to beat!
In fact, it works really well with basic, straightforward speech. This isn’t to say that Google Translate isn’t useful. It also won’t recognize spoken nuances (like sarcasm, or differentiating between a statement and a question based on tone of voice). Google’s audio translation is quick and accurate, but it works best with a slow, deliberate, speaker using simple sentences and a neutral accent (not exactly hallmarks of everyday speech). This can significantly impact the translation of complex text (like legal documents), or creative text (such as novels or marketing materials). The technology also struggles with grammar and syntax, failing to recognize how sentence structure affects meaning. Translate won’t pick up on cultural idioms, slang, industry-specific jargon, and the like. One of the biggest problems is Google’s reliance on a word-by-word approach, resulting in an overly-literal translation that can sacrifice meaning and accuracy. This infographic shows the detailed results, but there are three main takeaways:
To highlight some of the pros and cons of Google Translate, the technology was put to the test against top human translators in an English to Spanish face-off. Artificial intelligence is evolving tremendously, but in the area of language translation, there’s still no substitute for the human element. While this might seem like an easy way to close the language gap, it does little to bridge the cultural one.
More recently, an audio feature was added, allowing the tool to translate spoken or recorded content. Originally launched in 2006, Google Translate offers free, instant translations in and out of over 70 languages, including Spanish. Likewise, these issues make ostensibly straightforward translation anything but. Combined with the subtleties of context, sentence patterns, word choice, and colloquialisms, it can be an intimidating language for many non-native speakers in Raleigh and beyond. Not only does English feature over 200 ways to spell just 44 sounds, it contains seemingly endless irregularities in spelling, pronunciation, and grammar. It’s often said that English is a difficult language to learn.
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