Real-Time Translation Apps vs. Learning a Language: What You Gain – and What You Lose
Introduction
Artificial intelligence–based apps now offer “real‑time translation,” letting two or more people converse in different languages without knowing one another’s language. Such applications are becoming more accurate at a rapid pace and can make the need to learn a language seem unnecessary when the sole purpose is to carry out a conversation.
Given the hard work needed to learn a new language, there is no doubt such applications will be adopted by tourists, attendees of international conferences, and buyers and sellers at trade shows. However, there are two important benefits of learning a new language that one would miss out on if one relies on such applications completely:
- Loss of cultural insights that are embedded in the language
- Loss of the benefits for one’s brain that come from learning a new language
This article explores both dimensions and explains why language learning remains valuable even in an era of increasingly capable translation apps.
Language as a Representative of Culture
A culture is represented through its cuisine, art, architecture, dance, rituals, celebrations, religion, as well as behaviors that are encouraged and behaviors that are discouraged. All of these are represented in language. Not only is language used to communicate with others, it is used for expressing emotions and beliefs through poetry and prayers. The differences in cultures lead to the uniqueness of languages—not just in script or vocabulary but in many subtle ways.
History, social revolutions, invasions by foreign powers, and the evolution of religious beliefs are embedded into a language, making each language unique. When a language is translated into another language, many of these subtle and unique aspects are lost. A single word that embodies a complex activity in one language may require several sentences to explain in another.
Example: Cooking Terminology
In Indian cuisine, the word तड़का (tadka) describes the process of frying spices such as cumin, mustard seeds, chilies, turmeric, along with chopped onions, garlic, and ginger in ghee (clarified butter) or another fat. Translating this as “temper” in English, “stempere” in Italian, or “タドカ (tadoka)” in Japanese makes little sense because that particular process is unique to Indian cooking and not used in those cuisines.
Key Areas Where Languages Differ
i) Gender. In some languages (French, Italian, Spanish, Hindi, Punjabi, etc.) nouns and verb conjugations are gendered (e.g., “tree” is masculine while “river” is feminine in Hindi), which then affects how nouns are used with verbs. In English, nouns are not gendered.
ii) Verb conjugations. In some languages, verb conjugations contain enough information to describe the subject, so the subject pronoun need not be used.
iii) Counting systems. In some languages, number counting is very simple and logical—learn up to 20 and you can count any number. In others, such as Hindi and many Indian languages, one has to learn individual numbers up to 100 as each has its own unique word. In French, some numbers are 10‑based while others are 20‑based (e.g., after 69 to 79 and from 80 to 99).
iv) Verb tenses. Some languages (e.g., Japanese, Indonesian, Chinese) use relatively few tenses, while others (e.g., Spanish, Hindi) use dozens.
v) Formality layers. Some languages have many levels of sentence formality depending on social context, while others (notably modern English) have little or no formal/informal distinction.
These and other features are essentially lost in translation. For example, quatre‑vingt‑cinq will be translated as “eighty‑five,” not “four‑twenty and five,” obscuring the unique counting pattern in French.
Learning From Language Differences (With Help From AI)
When one learns a new language, paying attention to how it differs from one’s native language is a powerful source of insight. AI tools can help:
- Ask: Why does French number counting change at 70 and 80? You’ll uncover history and culture.
- Ask: Why doesn’t English use gendered nouns but Spanish does? You’ll learn about divergent linguistic evolutions.
A common reaction to such differences is: “This makes it so difficult to learn.” But when you use AI to explore the origins of these differences, you gain cultural insights that deepen understanding and appreciation of the language—and the people who speak it.
Language as a “Brain Workout”
As human society has shifted from agricultural to industrial to service economies, the functional need for brawn has declined. Few people must build muscles to load coal into a furnace or furniture into a truck—yet gyms are full of people sweating on treadmills and lifting weights.
As lifespan rises, medicine now emphasizes healthy lifespan: fewer years spent in frailty and dependence. Alongside a healthy diet rich in protein and calcium, doctors recommend weight‑bearing workouts. These aren’t for functional needs but to improve long‑term health outcomes.
Similarly, beyond physical wellness, brain health—especially memory—must be maintained. Language learning is one of the most satisfying ways to enhance and preserve memory. While real‑time translators are useful in a pinch, the hours you spend learning a language provide benefits for the brain akin to gym training for the body.
Conclusion
Real‑time translation apps are invaluable tools for on‑the‑spot communication. But relying on them exclusively risks losing the cultural insights that language encodes and the cognitive benefits that language learning delivers. In the AI era, the best approach is both/and: use translation tools when needed—and keep learning languages to enrich your mind and your understanding of the world.
By Dr. Jasprit Singh, President, Gurmentor, Inc. — A Learning Company (Gurmentor.com).
Professor Emeritus, Electrical Engineering & Computer Science and Applied Physics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.
