Google has launched new features in its Translate app that make real-time conversation and personalised language learning more accessible than ever.
The update, available from Tuesday, targets both casual travellers and serious language learners, providing tools to improve speaking, listening, and comprehension skills.
The unique addition is a language practice feature. Users can now select the “practice” option in the Translate app, set their skill level and personal goals, and engage in interactive sessions designed to adapt dynamically to their abilities.
Beginners can focus on basic conversational skills, while advanced users can refine vocabulary and fluency. The exercises allow you to listen and tap along with conversations or practise speaking, with progress tracked daily.
This innovation makes Google Translate a direct competitor to apps like Duolingo, offering a more immersive and AI-driven approach to language learning. The beta rollout initially supports English speakers practising Spanish and French, and Spanish, French, and Portuguese speakers practising English.
Google has also expanded its live translation features. Users in the U.S., India, and Mexico can now engage in back-and-forth conversations in over 70 languages, including Arabic, French, Hindi, Korean, Spanish, and Tamil. By tapping “Live translate” and speaking, the app provides spoken translations and on-screen transcripts in real time.
“Building on our existing live conversation experience, our advanced AI models are now making it even easier to have a live conversation in more than 70 languages — including Arabic, French, Hindi, Korean, Spanish, and Tamil,” Google said in a blog post.
The feature recognises pauses, intonations, and accents to ensure conversations feel natural. Google’s voice and speech recognition models can isolate sounds in noisy environments, such as airports or cafés, delivering high-quality translation even amid background noise.
Google emphasised that these enhancements rely on its Gemini AI models. “As we continue to push the boundaries of language processing and understanding, we are able to serve a wider range of languages and improve the quality and speed of translations. And with our Gemini models in Translate, we’ve been able to take huge strides in translation quality, multimodal translation, and text-to-speech (TTS) capabilities,” the company wrote.
With people translating roughly 1 trillion words each month across Translate, Search, Lens, and Circle to Search, Google believes these updates will significantly reduce language barriers and make communication across cultures more seamless.
