Hi all looking for recommendations for a hand held instant language translator, so many out there I need some help about 150€ max
Do you have a mobile phone? Google translate is good for basic, day to day stuff
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That was my thought too - As well as Google Translate (or Apple Translate) I would imagine there will be a ton of translation apps for both iOS and Android, a lot cheaper than a hardware device and probably more frequently updated as well.
https://www.pcmag.com/news/the-best-translation-apps-for-iphone
Although useful if you only have a little French I’d worry these would ultimately slow your own learning?
Handy to have a translator app as a backup in case of need though? I agree you’d want to try and get as fluent in French as you can, of course and not rely 100% on a gadget.
On a quick search I can’t spot any research - I can think of ways they might benefit (improving confidence by their availability, even if not used) or hinder (over-reliance ultimately reducing confidence) language acquisition.
Where I have used Google translate to help with someone with whom I have no common tongue I have not come away terribly comfortable that we achieved mutual understanding.
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A few years back, we let our gite to a German couple. They had booked via vrbo and there was a bit of toing and froing via email (in English) beforehand. When they arrived, as she got out of the car, I said something in English and she shook her head. From then onwards, our communication worked beautifully. The cottage is only 2 mins walk from the house and normally I would occasionally walk down to check all was well with our guests. With our German guests I would send her an email every morning in German, using Google translate and she would reply in English, using Google translate. We got on famously. So much so, that the middle weekend, when the weather was awful, she knitted warm socks for both of us. They’d hoped to come back the following year, but COVID intervened sadly.
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This was in Polish so maybe GT isn’t (or wasn’t) as accomplished or the two languages are furthe apart.
Quite possible. Also, the translation engines are getting better.
I send out weekly emails to our photo club. Sometimes more than weekly. The emails are in English and French. I haven’t the time to translate my English into French, so I use Deepl (better than GT). Most of the time, I’m happy with what I see in the French version. If I have doubts I drop the French into GT and see what comes back in English. And if I’ve still got doubts I use Reverso to see how English phrases are put into French over several different situations. I love translation engines.
I agree that not knowing a single word of a language makes it more difficult. I failed O level German, but I have retained a tiny bit. It did take me a while though to notice that GT was translating my name - Sue - at the end of my emails into German as “verklagen”. 
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I bet that they left the gite all spick & span 
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In my experience Google is OK if you want to simply write or say a word and get a translation, but using it for a conversation is a nightmare. My husband, whose French is quite poor, keeps trying it, but just gets snatches of the conversation translated.
I insist my students use Deepl rather than google, miles better, but not sure if it does voice, I think not.
Very similar these days as both are now AI based - though I agree Deepl has the edge.
Thank you all for your advice the reason I need it is to explain to my consultant about my medical condition
I have never had a problem with Google Translate. The problem with both is that they can mis interpret the input. In French that’s not a problem for me because my basic French is good enough to spot the obvious errors. If I’m writing something important I check and double check doubts and often rewrite my original sentence to ensure that the translation comes out as I want. However I’m more likely to use the translation app in a conversation in Spain on my travels. I find Spanish difficult and even after years of trying to pick up a bit of the language nothing sticks. If the translation app gives me a phrase in Spanish I wouldn’t have a clue if it was right or if it was complete nonsense.
Exactly - and the issue I faced when trying to use it to translate Polish ↔ English.
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But if you then translate it back into English using a different translator you would.
Not always.