Cebuano Mobile: Your Handy Translator
Chuchi Montenegro
College of Computer Studies, Silliman University, Philippines
An extension and improvement in human communication. These have been the key principles behind mobile phones. The use of mobile phones around the world is growing rapidly, and millions of people around the globe own this very handy device. However, different languages still hinder communication in spite of advances in communication technologies. This problem is common in the Philippines, where the locals speak several major languages and hundreds of dialects, and tourists and foreigners who become permanent residents speak their own unique languages.
The paper describes the development of a mobile application that can translate from English to Cebuano, and vice versa. It also includes the Cebuano sound translations so the users can listen to the translations in Cebuano. This would be very useful, especially for foreigners who are interested in learning the local language. The user testing and evaluation of the mobile application produced remarkable results, with 96% percent of the foreign respondents saying that the mobile application is helpful to them.