What is an Audio Phrasebook, and How Does It Work?

Short Intro

Traditionally, phrasebooks provide fast access to short bits of translated speech. In the  iTravl and Ectaco 800-series, these are actually full sentences.

Using "canned phrases" improves speed, but reduces flexibility. However, you don't always need flexibility because there is no need to say "Where is the hotel?" in any different way. It's a standard question.

Phrasebooks provide speed by eliminating the need to manually type the whole sentence (the  iTravl has this feature in many language pairs, as well). You just search for the phrase by keyword or simply pronounce the whole canned phrase aloud. See how audio phrasebook works in this 8-minute online Video demonstration.

The phrasebooks still limit flexibility because the device may not have the exact phrase you need, but Ectaco devices overcome it using the "Sentence Builder" option. Also today's phrasebooks include about 10 times more phrases than a few years ago.

What's Inside

Typically, a phrasebook:

• Contains phrases that allow you to do something. For example, find a hotel.
• Is arranged into categories. This means you think of the function you are trying to do, go to the general topic, and quickly find the phrase you need.
• Requires only a minimal number of keyboard, touchscreen, or voice entries for you to find the relevant phrase.

What are the topics? That depends on the manufacturer and model. We provide electronic versions of the manual for each unit, so you can see the particulars of each model before you buy it. There are usually 12 to 16 categories. Here is a typical example:

Bank Basics (everyday conversation) Beauty Care Communications Health/Drugstore Hotel Introductions In the restaurant Local transport Sightseeing Repairs/Laundry Shopping Sport/Leisure Traveling

Each of the topics includes the corresponding subtopics. You can see some traveling subtopics in this screenshot.
Now you can understand why electronic translators have phrasebooks.

Ectaco Audio Phrasebooks

The Ectaco phrasebook devices (PB series) are just phrasebooks. The  iTravl and Ectaco 800-series  contain a phrasebook (in addition to a lot of other great features). In all of these devices, the phrasebook has a search function. You can search for single words or whole phrases (sentences). So, it is super easy to find the phrase (sentence) you need.

In Ectaco dictionaries (one-word lookups), the voice is synthesized. One reason is to provide it with crystal clear pronunciation, so the English speaker can understand and repeat it. The idea is you are looking up a word and listen to it, when trying to remember it.

But the phrasebook has a different purpose from the dictionary. The main idea is to allow you to quickly communicate with another person in the standard situation (you can also use this to learn the language). For this reason, Ectaco phrasebooks provide natural human voice in recorded pronunciation for all included phrases (sentences). You can even choose the feminine or masculine voice output. So, you do not need to study pronunciation, worry about your accent, or even show the other person the device. The other person can simply listen, and you can be sure your listener will understand you correctly.