Microsoft has released a new conversation component to its Translator app for Windows, iOS, Android and Kindle. One person starts the conversation on their device which creates a private room complete with its very own URL and a QR code. Others can then join the room to be part of the conversation. The really amazing part is that each person who joins selects their native language and as they speak Translator converts the spoken word into text on each person's device--in the language they chose upon entering the room!

I can envision this being used in the classroom for ELL students or refugees who may be arriving from war torn parts of the world (think Syria). One way this could be done is through Presentation Mode which mutes all participants microphones except for the room owners. Just imagine a classroom with students who speak Arabic, Spanish, Chinese, Russian all have the teacher's English language translated to their native tongue!

Here's a video I made that shows Translator converting my English spoken into a Windows 10 laptop converted to Arabic on a student's iPad.