Travelling to destinations where you don’t speak the local language can leave you lost in translation. Communicating in the local language helps advance cultural exchange and improves engagement with locals. Overcoming language barriers increases the ability of travellers to immerse themselves in the local culture.

Translation apps are not a replacement for organic fluency, but they can help cross important communication barriers when it comes to local navigation, reading menus, managing public transportation, shopping or getting help, even in case of emergencies.

But there are downsides to translation app technology.

For example, if you’re an English-speaking lawyer on vacation travelling in France and want to let a local person know what your profession is, you could ask Google Translate to provide the French version of “I am a lawyer.”

Google Translate will suggest you say, “Je suis un avocat.” Unfortunately, you just told your French friend that you are an avocado. The word “avocat” means lawyer and avocado in French. The key distinction is using the French word “un” before “avocat.” With the word “un” before “avocat” it means avocado, without it the meaning is “lawyer.”

However, if you used Microsoft Translator then it would recommend you say, “Je suis avocat” – without the French word “un” – and that means you are, in fact, a lawyer.

The lesson here is that these tools, though often helpful, don’t always account for cultural nuances or context, and can stumble, sometimes disastrously, over colloquialisms, leading to bewildering misunderstandings and unintended comedy – or worse – when communicating with locals.

There are several other translation app risks, too, including:

• Technical issues – Apps that rely on internet connectivity can be unreliable or costly.
• Privacy concerns – Some translation apps require access to personal data, raising privacy issues.
• Security risks – Using public Wi-Fi networks to access translation apps can expose sensitive information to potential hackers.
• Dependency – Relying too heavily on translation apps may hinder language learning and cultural immersion.
• Communication breakdown – In complex or nuanced conversations, translation apps may not be able to convey tone or context, leading to misunderstandings accurately.

What apps are available?

There are several translation apps available that can assist with language translation, text recognition, voice translation and offline capabilities. The following are 10 of the best translation apps for tourists to consider using while travelling:

• Waygo specializes in visual translation and is particularly useful for translating text in images and menus in Asian languages.
• Papago is a popular translation app in Asia, offering text and voice translation in multiple languages, including Asian languages like Korean, Japanese and Chinese.
• TripLingo is designed specifically for travellers and has language guides, cultural information and voice translation in multiple languages.
• Google Translate is one of the most popular and widely used translation apps. It offers text, speech, and camera translation in many languages, as well as offline capabilities for some features.
• Microsoft Translator provides text and voice translation in multiple languages, as well as the ability to translate conversations in real-time with several participants.
• ITranslate offers text and voice translation, a dictionary, offline mode and the ability to save favorite translations for quick access.
• SayHi provides voice translation in multiple languages and allows users to have multilingual conversations with real-time translation.
• Translate Now offers text and voice translation in numerous languages, as well as the ability to save and organize translations for future reference.
• Babylon Translator has text and voice translation in multiple languages, as well as a dictionary and language learning tool.
• Easy Language Translator provides text and voice translation in various languages, with a simple and user-friendly interface.

Before travelling, it’s wise to download and familiarize yourself with one or more of these translation apps to help facilitate communication and enhance your travel experience. It’s also helpful to have a basic understanding of common phrases or greetings in the local language of the country you are visiting to show respect and courtesy to the locals.

Finally, obtaining travel protection services that provide access to an in-person, live translation resource is recommended for situations that require more precision, like making certain a prescription is properly filled, sorting out a legal issue or managing a medical or security emergency.

(David Koo director of operations for Global Rescue, the leading provider of medical, security, evacuation and travel risk management services. Koo speaks two languages fluently, three others with conversational ease, and he regularly uses translation apps.)