What are the best electronic translators

murpho · #1 (**permalink**) 08-06-2005, 06:25 PM

It's getting to be crunch time and my basic spanish is progressing with, of course, a healthy vocabulary being the most cumbersome to learn. What is/are the best electronic translation device(s) and what are their costs?

Lostagain · #2 (**permalink**) 08-07-2005, 01:37 AM

Look on the Franklin Publishing web site <www.franklin.com>. They have the best I have seen. I've been through several -- they get smashed, lost, or otherwise abused. If you want a new one find the model you want on the Franklin site and buy it at Amazon for a cheaper price. Or buy a refurbished one for even less at the Franklin site. Don't bother with the ones that make noise (sound, if you can call it that).

Good luck on your trip. Maybe I'll run into you if you happen to be in Cali or Armenia between the 13th and the 24th. I'll be the guy with the short wife who is too young for me.

murpho · #3 (**permalink**) 08-07-2005, 10:38 AM

Thanks LA.

Jim · #4 (**permalink**) 08-07-2005, 12:20 PM

I agree. Franklin is the best and Amazon has the best price. I, too, have been through amny of them.

The ebst one for a gringo is the $50 version. There is a $100 version which has an audio component which pronounces the word. This would only justify spending twice as much for a Latina who didn't have a gringo to pronounce words for her.

Spanish pronunciation is totally consistent so we don't really need to pay double to hear the words (for us, Spanish grammar, verb endings and noun and adjective genders, are the killer). In English pronunciation is inconsistent and hearing the word spoken is necessary.