Franklin TGA-495 12-Language Speaking Global Translator

by Franklin

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 3 x 4.5 x 0.5 inches ; 0.6 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B001IBI6MO
• Item model number: TGA-495
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank:
  • #76 in Electronics > Office Electronics > Electronic Dictionaries, Thesauri & Translators > Foreign Language Translators
• Date first available at Amazon.com: September 14, 2004

Product Description

12-Language Speaking Global Translator that helps you to speak like a local in 12 popular languages which translates to and from Chinese Mandarin Arabic English French German Italian Japanese Turkish Polish Portuguese Russian and Spanish.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

34 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars recent trip to China and Japan, April 14, 2010

By 

James A. Dicken "Tulane Grad Student" (New Orleans LA.) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Franklin TGA-495 12-Language Speaking Global Translator (Office Product)

Took a recent trip to China and Japan, and relied on the Franklin TGA-495 for my translation. Lets go over the good aspects first: #1. The battery life was awesome, and it charges off of USB, or included international adapters. I don't think I charged it once in two weeks. #2. Quick Search of words. When you search for words (say in English to Japanese mode) you get an instant result or results. Often you get a one word response in your language like "bathroom" and a phrase below thats like "Where is the bathroom". #3 It speaks! It is very useful to look up the phrase, listen to it a few times (so you can memorize it) and then speak it to the waiter, taxi driver, without having to peck at the device while the other person stares at you in confusion. #4 I was almost always able to look up the word or phrase that as least got my idea across. I would say it was effective 95% of the time.

The so-so features
#1 The Chinese and Japanese that is spoken from the translator is difficult for natives to understand. Chinese is a tonal language so pitch at certain points of your words actually changes the word. If the native person can't hear the pitch (flat tone, increasing tone, decreasing tone, tone that dips and comes back up), then the word means nothing to them (or the wrong word). I found the speaker on the translator not good enough to distinguish the needed pitches in Chinese when it talks, so the local person couldn't understand me. Thats when I pointed to the Characters on the screen and the person (almost 100% of the time) then knew what I was trying to say. A few would laugh at me and try to help me pronounce it correctly. I was more successful in Japan with the speaking feature.

Features that need improvement
#1 The roman characters used for Chinese translation are missing the inflection marks. This goes back to the tonal language thing in Chinese where "MA (increasing tone) MA(flat tone) MA(decreasing tone) MA(dip tone and come back up)" are 4 different words. The translator would just show "MA", and as a westerner I would have no idea how to pronounce the word from what was on the screen and got it wrong everytime. This is where I would have to show the person the Chinese characters, because they had no idea what I wanted to say. #2 The back light and speaker are cheap. I actually never had a problem with the back light, but I see why others complain. The speaker is not good enough to let locals catch the spoken inflections for Chinese.

Parting advice
I like the translator, and I will keep it for trips to Mexico and Europe, but it has a lot of features. If you get it you need to spend a few hours (even if just on the plane) reading the book and exploring the features. You need to be able to pull it out, type a phrase, and know what buttons to push to get your translation, in a few seconds for it to be effective and so you don't look dumb fumbling around with it. The translator does come with headphones so you can use it without disturbing others on a plane. Also, in China have the hotel front desk person write down where you are going (in Chinese) on a card for the taxi driver, and make sure you have a hotel business card (in Chinese) so you can hail a taxi yourself later on and make it back.

38 of 41 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A translator does not translate, November 4, 2009

By 

F. Ko "New Jersey" (USA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Franklin TGA-495 12-Language Speaking Global Translator (Office Product)

I am disappointed because it does not really "translate", although it is called "translator". It will provide you words or simple phrases from the pre-installed dictionary. For example, if you type "Where is the train station?" It will show a few phrases that start with "where". Then you will pick a sentence that is closest to what you want. Most of the time, it does not come close to my sentences. I thought it will translate like the computer translation web sites.

I think all of this type of devices in the market at this time are all like this. If any one knows a handheld device that truly translate, please let me know. I am going on a trip to Spain and need help with translation in Spanish.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Review of Franklin Electronics Franklin TGA495, September 25, 2009

By 

Amy Sanchez "ADSinTexas" (San Antonio, TX) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Franklin TGA-495 12-Language Speaking Global Translator (Office Product)

Very impressed with the number of languages offered by the translator. Perhaps it would be easier to have either all male or all female translating voices. The voice quality is poor. I first attempted to listen to the translation through the speaker but had difficulty understanding and it sounded muffled and garbled. I then inserted headphones and unfortunately it was the same results. I was disappointed that it only provides pre-programmed translation. I was hopeful to enter my own phrase or sentence. It only allows you to enter word by word which defeats the purpose.