Jan 13, 2011 07:43 GMT  ·  By

Mountain View-based Internet giant Google has announced officially a series of changes brought to its Google Translate for Android, which should offer users the possibility to interact easier with the application.

Some of the main enhancements the new version of Google Translate for Android comes with, we can count better dropdown boxes aimed at helping users easily select the language they would like to translate from and into, along with an improved input box, and a cleaner layout.

The app also sports all of the features that were already included with it since the first launch, such as machine translation, spoken translations, voice input, SMS translation, and more.

Moreover, the new version of the application comes with a feature that is still only in experimental stages at the moment, namely Conversation Mode.

“This is a new interface within Google Translate that’s optimized to allow you to communicate fluidly with a nearby person in another language. You may have seen an early demo a few months ago, and today you can try it yourself on your Android device,” Google notes in a post on its Mobile Blog.

The Conversation Mode is available at the moment only when translating between English and Spanish. All that users would need to do is to press the microphone for their language when in conversation mode, and then start speaking.

“Google Translate will translate your speech and read the translation out loud. Your conversation partner can then respond in their language, and you’ll hear the translation spoken back to you,” Google says.

However, the feature is only in an alpha state now, and a series of factors (such as regional accents, background noise or rapid speech) might affect the translation. But things look promising, Google notes, and the technology might soon offer people the possibility to connect even if they speak different languages.

The use of Translate for Android is spread around the world, with the majority of those who take advantage of it coming from outside the United States.

“[…] we’ve seen daily usage from more than 150 countries, from Malaysia to Mexico to Mozambique. It’s really rewarding for us to see how this new platform is helping us break down language barriers the world over,” the said post continues.

The application currently offers support for a number of 53 languages, along with voice input for 15 languages. Those interested in trying out the software should look for “Google Translate” in the Android Market. Google Translate for Android supports all devices running under Android 2.1 and above.