Whether you are learning a new language, traveling abroad or communicating with foreign clients, an electronic language translator may be the answer you have been looking for. Electronic language translators are basically portable dictionaries that can change English words or phrases into any one of a number of different languages. Imagine you are working, travelling or living in a foreign country, how much more convenient would it be to pop this handy little gadget into your pocket or handbag instead of carrying around one or more foreign phrase books or dictionaries?

Some language translators are quite complex and contain far more features than you would ever need to use. Then there are electronic language translators that give sample replies that you might hear in response to a particular phrase. Deciding what you want to use the translator for and then researching the product best suited to your needs is the first step to deciding which is the right translator for you.

Cost is also a factor and the more functions a translator has the more you will pay. Model and brand will also influence the price. For instance the VoxTec Phraselator P2 is available starting at $2,300, a huge difference when you compare this with some of the translators that you can find at just £15.00 online. Consider this though, the Phraselator p2 has the ability to instantly and accurately recognize the user's voice and then speak the appropriate translation. This device also works for just about any user, male or female, since it doesn't require special voice training. It is a versatile gadget which can be used in both left or right-handed modes, as well as one-handed, with an external headset or loud-speaker. In addition, it is designed so that it can be used in adverse weather conditions including heavy rainstorms and extremes of temperature since the device has a very rugged and weatherproof outer casing. It has proved itself in terms of functionality and reliability and is used extensively in the field of law enforcement in the U.S.A.

At the other end of the market the Voice Travel Mate is programmed with words and phrases from twelve different languages, English, French, German, Spanish, Portugese, Italian, Dutch, Russian, Swedish, Japanese, Chinese Mandarin and Turkish. The Voice Travel Mate also has foreign words and phrases in eight categories and over 700 frequently used sentences, enough to get most of us by in every day situations. It does have other handy features including the time, date and travel alarm clock plus the ability to store up to 60 phone numbers. This might be the logical choice for those of us just wanting to get by on holiday once or twice a year.

Of course, there is no substitute for learning and speaking a foreign language and an electronic language translator can help you to do this too. An ideal option for any student studying a foreign language because it is lightweight and portable and if you are studying more than one language it is relatively cheaper than buying a mountain of foreign dictionaries.

There is a huge variety of translators on the market and there will be one to suit your needs but research is the key to acquiring the one that will give you the functionality to match your requirement.