Skype Translator now has two additional spoken languages in the form of German and French. The two languages join English, Italian, Spanish and Mandarin, along with 50 other instant messaging languages.
With this feature, a Skype call between an English and a French user, for example, can be near-instantly translated in spoken words, rather than the voice-to-text only translation that works for the majority of the supported languages in Skype Translator.
Users can download the latest version of the Skype Translator preview app from the Windows Store to try out the new languages for themselves. Skype Translator was first announced with an early version of German being demonstrated, so the technology has come full circle now. You can follow this link for a better idea of how the technology works in real-time.
It can also help bring down barriers for those with hearing loss. In a new video released alongside the announcement of spoken language translation for French and German, Skype details how translator helped improve the life of Microsoft researcher Ted Hart. Ted is deaf, but through Skype Translator, he is able to have a conversation with his wife in nearly real-time thanks to the app's ability to translate her spoken words into text with almost no delay.
"This use of Skype Translator has impacted his own life profoundly, and has the potential to impact the lives of millions more around the world who are deaf or hard of hearing," Yasmin Khan writes on Skype's blog.
You can watch more about how Skype Translator helped Ted Hart in the video below.
A future where all phones and messaging services come built-in with some type of Star Trek-like universal translator doesn't seem so far-fetched now. There's no word on which languages Skype will be prioritizing next for the spoken language treatment, but there is no shortage of ones to choose from. Each new addition is a step forward in breaking down communication barriers, making it easier to connect with people from around the world.
