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Facebook Translate Button will Improve Online Communication

Microblogging site Twitter made headlines this month when a team of volunteer translators added two more languages – Filipino and Malay – to the site’s translation centre, meaning the site is now available in 13 different languages.

Not to be outdone, rival social network Facebook is reportedly preparing a Facebook Translate feature that will break down linguistic barriers among the site’s 750 million users. We could soon see a Facebook Translate button available on the social network, allowing users to view their friends’ wall posts in the dialect of their choice.

You needn’t be a professional translation expert to realise the implications of a Facebook Translate feature; it would make communication across linguistic and cultural barriers that much easier for the millions of people from all corners of the world who log onto Facebook every day.

Currently, most Facebook users rely on third-party serviced like Google Translate to help them communicate with users who speak another language; now these users will be able to understand their friends across the globe simply by clicking the Facebook Translate button, which will appear next to the ever-popular “Like” button.

Facebook Page owners will be able to translate comments from international fans, and respond to them without relying on external translation tools. Once a comment has been translated, an “Original” button will appear in place of the Translate button, allowing the user to switch the text back to its original language.

The Facebook Translate tool is currently in the testing phase and only available on a handful of the site’s pages; it’s not yet clear how many languages will be supported by the Translate feature, although the latest reports point to English, Spanish, French, Hebrew and Chinese. Facebook, like Twitter, has already harnessed the power of crowdsourced translation to make the site available in dozens of dialects, and a growing number of people worldwide are choosing the multilingual social media site as their preferred platform for communication.

Ultimately it seems that the latest translation capability will make it easier than ever to overcome linguistic limitations on Facebook, boosting the site’s popularity even more.

Facebook Translate will be a bit like having your very own personal professional interpreter at your beck and call; the exciting new tool is likely to make business communication and personal messaging a smoother and easier process in any language. Already, users across the globe are looking forward to the official rollout of the Facebook Translate button!

Sally Roberts is a keen author who enjoys discussing the latest world news and business developments.

Posted in Social Networking. Tags:

15 Replies

  1. This is great news indeed. It opens up a huge new market for FB page owners. Thanks for sharing!

    PS Wanted to make sure you saw your blog on my new CommentLuv enabled blog list!

  2. This is excellent news, as this feature will most certainly help in overcoming the language barriers. However, I hope it won’t be “tarzanic”…sometimes, the translating softwares mess up all the genuine meaning and create confusion rather than mutual understanding.

  3. Yup you said it right this will make people from chat more outside their premisis,Greate article…Keep posting such content..!!!! :)

  4. Wow…what is this language in this screen shot?

  5. Facebook is also a wide network and there is less restrictions to met other then other social media sites . And now if it is introducing the translator then it is the best social media web site for communicating people .

  6. The number 1 on The Mountain……we make learning to ski a snap !

  7. Michael Sep 12th 2011

    Facebook will connect us all :)
    Thanks!
    Michael from 3D Animation Jobs

  8. This will come in very handy for me when I see comments in my stream that are not in English. Thanks for the heads up.

  9. WOW! I am Filipino SEO and the news that you have shared is a really BIG news not just to all fanatics of FB.

  10. FB is a channel that my countrymen even to little kids serves as an invitation to socialize. Learning this ways would give them a better look into their future and will divert their attention from doing “off things”. This is how I look at things now from seeing this kids enjoying a lot FB much more now because it is being translated.

  11. This really is an incredible development that I think will eventually become protocol for most websites.

    Bridging the communication gap will allow more goods and services to be pushed therefore expanding economies and boosting prosperity for all.

  12. I can’t wait for this, after being travelling for 6 months have racked up too many international friends. I want in on the conversation!

  13. Facebook is continuing it’s vow to make more people connected. This translate button is the answer in the question,”how can we be connected if we don’t understand each others languages?”. I saw my FB account today and noticed changes. Facebook added new functions to keep FBnatics more connected with their friends. Pretty cool!

  14. facebook has lots of function and that is why people love this website and it has very good layout and very good function so i like very much

  15. It’s not surprising that Facebook will reign in social media for more years just like Google. it has already gained it’s trust and has penetrated all business platforms.


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