Choosing a French Language Electronic Dictionary and Translator
Parlez-vous Francais? Whether you are wanting to learn French for a holiday in Europe, heading north to French-speaking Canada, needing to facilitate business interactions or as part of your general education, having your own personal translator on hand is always useful. There is a wide array of electronic dictionaries and translators that can help you learn and find the words and phrases you need.
What Features Do Electronic Translators Have?
The various manufacturing brands of electronic translators and dictionaries offer a wide array of features among models. Depending on brand and model, some of these may include:
- Translation Modes: Some models give you the option to select between text translation and voice translation. This gives you the ability to translate from text to text, speech to speech, speech to text, and text to speech depending on where you are and what you need to do.
- Databases: The pre-installed databases in electronic dictionaries and translators are base themselves on recognized dictionaries. Phrases may focus on the intended use, such as shopping, travel, business, or education. Some offer the ability to enter words as they sound and have a phonetic spell correction function to make the right translation from French to English and vice versa.
- Calculators: Calculation options usually include basic math functions, along with currency conversions, and the ability to convert between metric and imperial weights and measurements.
- Language Teachers: Installed apps and learning programs may include added functions for serious learning of a second language. This gives you your very own language teacher on hand to help with being grammatically correct.
- Connectivity: Many models include USB ports for connecting to other devices or have built-in wireless technology.
- Power Source: Most portable electronic language translators use batteries, so you can be flexible with where you use them.
- Other Features: You will also find models that may have inbuilt media players, basic games, scheduling, and notes programs
What Does This Brand Offer?
Franklin has been making portable electronic devices, including dictionaries, translators, and thesaurus since the mid-1980's.
- Their models include French-English, English-French bilingual dictionaries as well as an extensive range of other languages.
- The databases they use include the Merriam-Webster, Franklin Webster, Collins and Larousse English and French dictionaries.
What Designs and Sizes Are There?
This company manufacturers electronic French-English dictionaries in various styles and portable sizes to carry with you or slip in your pocket or bag. These include:
- Folding: Folding designs look like a mini-laptop. They usually have a keyboard for entering your words and text, and a separate screen for the language translation.
- Calculator Sized: Models the size of a small calculator or smartphone may also come with a folding lid for added protection. These usually have an LCD panel to view words and phrases you enter via a mini keyboard.
For full specifications on individual models please refer to their website.