Follow
Skype Translator is the latest feature made by a widely used platform that wants to bring together individuals from various parts of the globe. People have long tried to talk to others who speak a different language. Even if Skype Translator is not exactly our contemporary Tower of Babel, it still represents a significant development toward worldwide language understanding.
This translation option has been offered for preview in Microsoft’s Windows 8.1 and 10 since last December. However, it comes today on users’ Windows PC Skype application.
The real-time translating service now works with six spread languages: English, France, Italian, German, Spanish and Mandarin, with any of them being able to talk to the others. The option can also translate other ‘languages’ through instant text messages. The company is gradually offering the feature to all its clients in the next few weeks and not everyone will use it instantly. Its Windows desktop edition is receiving it first, then it will be later provided to Skype’s other clients: Android, iOS, Mac and many more. The PC version operates on Windows 7 and newer.
Those who have used the feature were really impressed by it. Skype Translator has been developed for many years and it is one of the main projects created by Microsoft’s analysis department. When asked if any third-party innovation was integrated into this feature, the company’s officials said that it is all Microsoft’s creation. This includes elements of speech identification, translation using cross studying and text-to-speech conversion
The same group that develops Cortana’s main engine is working on Skype Translator’s terminology identification. They mentioned that the interpretation function is still in its beta version, since it is not yet a totally usable feature. However, it will be improved as more individuals use it, since experts have targeted this problem and made it as simple as possible.
When people use Skype’s translation of spoken or written words, they will still see their conversations in clear text for each user’s language. There is also a brief break between a user’s speech and the time when Skype compiles the translated words. This requires some time to get used, but there is an excellent language learning prospective for this system. Actually, Skype has created an educational project with a secret Skype game where learners have to think where a far-away class is situated.
For more details on the new translation feature and Skype’s video conference system and support, read complete evaluations of MS Windows that will be improved along with the Skype Translator.
Image source: Publika.md
