SayHi. An App You Must Have.

Do you know about this app?  I think it is a Must for All of us.  And I want to tell you about it.    

A Bit About How it works:

1.  You can download the app for free.  

2.  Once you open the app, you can choose the language that you want to communicate in.  Here's a screen shot of how I used it today:

See the microphone in green?  There is drop down menu that you can choose other languages from.  I have a dear friend who is from Panama, and she practiced using the app with me before I started using it with other friends.  She assured me that the translation is done well for the most part.  

3.  It's so easy.  I use the English side to communicate my message, and the app translates my message into Spanish.  (Which is the only language I need to consider this year.)  Just tap on the microphone and begin speaking.  You can also hold the microphone down for 1-2 seconds and it will allow you to type your message as well.  

4.  I also screen shot and text messages as needed.  I sent this one today for our snow day! 

Why:

I am thinking of two times this year when I wished I was more fluent in Spanish.  (I'm practicing, but just not there yet!)  One was I couldn't communicate what I needed to about a child!  It turned out to be okay.   But not being able to effectively communicate with the family was so stressful!  I knew I had to do something different.  

I was standing in a group of ladies who spoke a combination of Spanish and English among us.  As two ladies were speaking to each other in English, I watched my friend who speaks Spanish try to follow along.  I grabbed my phone and spoke a translation into the app so she could understand what was happening.   When I think about inclusiveness, and ensuring that all feel welcome, this app essentially takes away the language barrier.  It opens up the opportunity to getting to know all our neighbors.  

What other ideas do you have for this app?  

Joy!
Kendra