Microsoft Translator: Bridging the Communication Gap

Hello everyone! Today we will discuss an instructional tool that is fantastic for our English Language Learners: Microsoft Translator. In my ELD classroom, Microsoft Translator’s Conversations tool was used heavily to have conversations with my students who spoke Spanish, Arabic, and Mandarin. Utilizing Microsoft Translator broke the language barrier to build relationships and trust in the classroom. It allowed for content and conversations to be accessible to ALL students.

Students logged onto the translator site either through the website or app. Students would then enter a 5-letter code given to them by me, the conversation starter. Once everyone entered the chatroom, students could type or speak into the microphone in their own language. The recipients would see the message, but in their own native language! This gave students the confidence to talk to one another (and to me) without any barriers. The photo below from the Microsoft Translator web page is what users will see before entering a conversation.

The Microsoft Translator app was helpful for on-the-go learning in the classroom. The app has a feature where the user can open their camera on the app, take a photo of a document or worksheet in front of them, and translate the document immediately to their native language! In my ELD class, I used this feature while we were doing a book study on Louis Sachar’s Holes so my students could hear and see a sentence in English, read it out loud together, and then see the phrase in their native language.

During parent conferences, the app was helpful for one-on-one conversations. The app has a split-screen microphone that allowed for translation between two languages on one device! This was helpful to save time, so parents did not have to download the app or have to fiddle around with their phone during the conference. The person could talk into the phone using the mic button and the phrase would be translated in the person’s language above the mic. Microsoft Translator boasts the app can “engage parents and the school community by providing real-time language translation for parent-teacher conferences” (Microsoft, n.d.).

Outside of using the app for English Language Learners, students who are hard-of-hearing or deaf can use the app as well! Running from pen and paper or having difficulties reading lips, students can use the app effectively and efficiently as a resource to communicate with others. With masks covering lips and making it difficult to understand one another, the app bridges the communication gap to make conversations accessible and engaging.

In the Classroom

Parent-Teacher Conferences

Conversations

References

Microsoft. (n.d.). Microsoft translator for education. Microsoft. https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/translator/education/