Google Translate isn't just for typing in phrases you don't understand. You can also use it to take photos of signs and translate them in almost any language.

If you're reading this, then it's highly likely that your first language is English. It's also highly likely that, like us, you have visited a country where English is not the most widely spoken language and felt a little embarrassed at your inability to communicate with locals. It isn't just the fact that many of us can't speak a foreign language, but that many foreign people who visit English speaking countries can speak the language very well.

Unfortunately, learning a new language later in life is not easy. Not only do we not really have the time, but our brains aren't as adept at learning that much brand-new information and retaining it all as well as when we were kids. The reason many people from non-English speaking countries can speak English is because they learned it from a very young age.

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As with almost anything in the present day, technology is there to lend a helping hand. If you need something translated into English, or any other language for that matter, in a pinch, then Google Translate has you covered. Yes, more often than not it won't be a perfect translation, but it will stand you in better stead than you were before you opened it up. However, did you know it also has this handy feature?

If using Google Translate on your phone, you can actually open up your camera, take a photo of a sign, and translate the text on it. Simply snap the pic, highlight what you want to be translated, and then select which language you would like it to be translated to. Plus, as highlighted by Travel+Leisure, a litany of new languages have just been added to the feature including Thai, Arabic, and Punjabi.

Even if all of the above is new information to you, and let's be honest it is a pretty handy feature if you're stuck or lost abroad, it shouldn't be an excuse not to learn a new language. Technology can help you with that too, just download Duolingo and get started. It has almost 40 different languages to choose from. It might be tough, but it's worth it.

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