What is an electronic dictionary / talking dictionary, and why would you use it? This is a question many people have answered by buying a second or third unit. You use them because they empower you to jump over language barriers.

This technology goes by other names, as well:

• Electronic dictionary
• Handheld translator
• Handheld electronic dictionary
• Language translator
• Language teacher
• Talking dictionary
• Pocket talking dictionary
• Pocket translator
• Talking language translator
• Electronic interpreter

All these names simply refer to a handheld device that stores thousands of words in two or more languages and looks up the corresponding word in another language. With this ability, the devices are simply transliterators. The next step up is the addition of storing phrases, rather than words. This feature makes the device a true language translator. Why not just learn the language? Well, that takes time. Often, it takes more time than you have available. Are you going to postpone a trip to or from someone in another country for a year while you learn the language? Are you going to tell your employer you can’t close an overseas sale because you need a year to learn the language before you take the trip?

These language translators are useful when:

• You have guests from another country—one with a different language
• You develop a romantic or arranged relationship with someone who speaks a different language
• You do business with people from another country—and you don’t want language barriers to cause misunderstandings
• You want to take a trip to France, Germany, Italy, Russia, or some other country where you don’t want to learn the language as a condition of going—but don’t want to pass up the opportunity to visit
• You hire an au pair
• Your business has customers from another country and you can’t afford to send your customer service staff to language lessons
• Any situation where you don’t want language differences to be barriers to communication and cooperation.

Where to buy

PC World rated Ectaco translators as the best. You can usually find the best prices for Ectaco translators at:

http://www.mindconnection.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=M&Category_Code=0002LANGUAGE