How to follow a tour, lecture or sermon in another language

You’ve booked the tour, found a seat in the lecture hall or slipped into the back of a service, and the speaker starts in a language you don’t speak. You can nod along and catch one word in ten, or you can read along in your own language. Here’s how to do the second.

What live subtitles are good for

Anywhere one person talks and you listen:

• Guided tours in a museum, a castle or a city centre, when the English tour is full or doesn’t exist.
• Lectures and seminars when you’re studying abroad, or sitting in on a class in a language you’re still learning.
• Services, weddings and funerals where you want to follow what’s being said for someone you care about.
• Talks and conferences with speakers in several languages.
• Television and radio in a country you’ve just moved to.

What it isn’t built for is a back-and-forth between two people. For that, use a conversation mode, where each person gets their own side (see how to talk to someone who doesn’t speak your language).

How to set it up

In Kenly, open the Listen tab and pick the language you want to read. Pick the speaker’s language too, or let Kenly detect it. Then tap the mic. Kenly listens while Listen runs and shows each sentence translated as the speaker talks, with the original underneath if you want to compare.

A few settings make a big difference:

• Text size. Make the subtitles large enough to read at a glance, so you can keep looking at the speaker or the painting they’re describing.
• Show the original. Handy if you know a little of the language, or want to catch names and terms as they were said.
• Spoken translation. Kenly can read the translation aloud too. It stops listening while it speaks, so with a speaker who rarely pauses, subtitles alone catch more.

Getting the best results

Live translation is only as good as what the microphone hears. Most problems come down to sound, not to the translation itself.

1. Get close. Sit near the front, or stand near the guide. If there’s a loudspeaker, get closer to that rather than the person.
2. Keep the mic clear. Don’t cover the bottom of the phone with your hand or a sleeve, and keep it out of a pocket.
3. Mind the echo. Big stone churches and halls blur speech. Closer is better still.
4. Expect a short delay. A translation needs a few words of context, so subtitles arrive a moment after the speaker. It’s normal.
5. Watch names and numbers. Proper names, dates and figures are where any translation slips most. If something matters, check it afterwards.

Be considerate

Tell the guide or organiser if you can: most are glad you’re following along. Don’t use live translation to listen in on private conversations, and check the rules before using it in a court, an exam or anywhere recording is restricted.

Before you go

• Charge your phone; live translation uses the screen and the network for a long stretch
• Check you have mobile data or Wi-Fi where you’re going
• Pick your language in advance, and set the text size
• Sit, or stand, near the speaker