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Azure AI Speech Translation Setup Guide

✅ 1. Provision Azure AI Speech Resource

  1. Go to https://portal.azure.com
  2. Search "Azure AI services" > Click Create under Speech service
  3. Fill in:
  4. Subscription: Your Azure sub
  5. Resource Group: Create or choose
  6. Region: Any available
  7. Name: Unique
  8. Pricing: Select F0 (Free) or S (Standard)
  9. Agree to Responsible AI
  10. Click Review + create > Create

After deployment, open the Keys and Endpoint page. You'll use the key and region in your code.

✅ 2. Prepare Development Environment

Option A: Already cloned?

Just open mslearn-ai-language in VS Code.

Option B: Clone the repo

  1. Open VS Code
  2. Press Ctrl+Shift+P → type Git: Clone → enter: 
    https://github.com/MicrosoftLearning/mslearn-ai-language
  3. Open the cloned folder in VS Code.
  4. If prompted, trust the authors.
  5. Don't add required assets if prompted.

✅ 3. Install Azure Speech SDK

Open terminal in: 

Labfiles/08-speech-translation/<CSharp or Python>/translator

Run:

For C#: 

dotnet add package Microsoft.CognitiveServices.Speech --version 1.30.0

For Python: 

pip install azure-cognitiveservices-speech==1.30.0

✅ 4. Configure API Key and Region

  • C#: Edit appsettings.json
  • Python: Edit .env

Add your key and region from Azure (not the endpoint!).

✅ 5. Modify Code for Translation

Open: - C#: Program.cs - Python: translator.py

Import namespaces

C#: 

using Microsoft.CognitiveServices.Speech;
using Microsoft.CognitiveServices.Speech.Audio;
using Microsoft.CognitiveServices.Speech.Translation;

Python: 

import azure.cognitiveservices.speech as speech_sdk

Configure Translation & Speech

C#: 

translationConfig = SpeechTranslationConfig.FromSubscription(aiSvcKey, aiSvcRegion);
translationConfig.SpeechRecognitionLanguage = "en-US";
translationConfig.AddTargetLanguage("fr");
translationConfig.AddTargetLanguage("es");
translationConfig.AddTargetLanguage("hi");

speechConfig = SpeechConfig.FromSubscription(aiSvcKey, aiSvcRegion);

Python: 

translation_config = speech_sdk.translation.SpeechTranslationConfig(ai_key, ai_region)
translation_config.speech_recognition_language = 'en-US'
translation_config.add_target_language('fr')
translation_config.add_target_language('es')
translation_config.add_target_language('hi')

speech_config = speech_sdk.SpeechConfig(ai_key, ai_region)

✅ 6. Translate Speech

🎤 Option A: Microphone Input

Add inside Translate function:

C#: 

using AudioConfig audioConfig = AudioConfig.FromDefaultMicrophoneInput();
using TranslationRecognizer translator = new TranslationRecognizer(translationConfig, audioConfig);
Console.WriteLine("Speak now...");
TranslationRecognitionResult result = await translator.RecognizeOnceAsync();
translation = result.Translations[targetLanguage];
Console.WriteLine(translation);

Python: 

audio_config = speech_sdk.AudioConfig(use_default_microphone=True)
translator = speech_sdk.translation.TranslationRecognizer(translation_config, audio_config=audio_config)
print("Speak now...")
result = translator.recognize_once_async().get()
translation = result.translations[targetLanguage]
print(translation)

🔊 Option B: Use Audio File

Install sound library:

C#: 

dotnet add package System.Windows.Extensions --version 4.6.0

Python: 

pip install playsound==1.3.0

Then, add:

C#: 

using System.Media;

string audioFile = "station.wav";
SoundPlayer wavPlayer = new SoundPlayer(audioFile);
wavPlayer.Play();
using AudioConfig audioConfig = AudioConfig.FromWavFileInput(audioFile);
using TranslationRecognizer translator = new TranslationRecognizer(translationConfig, audioConfig);
TranslationRecognitionResult result = await translator.RecognizeOnceAsync();
translation = result.Translations[targetLanguage];
Console.WriteLine(translation);

Python: 

from playsound import playsound

audioFile = 'station.wav'
playsound(audioFile)
audio_config = speech_sdk.AudioConfig(filename=audioFile)
translator = speech_sdk.translation.TranslationRecognizer(translation_config, audio_config=audio_config)
result = translator.recognize_once_async().get()
translation = result.translations[targetLanguage]
print(translation)

✅ 7. Add Speech Synthesis

Add under Synthesize translation comment:

C#: 

var voices = new Dictionary<string, string>
{
    ["fr"] = "fr-FR-HenriNeural",
    ["es"] = "es-ES-ElviraNeural",
    ["hi"] = "hi-IN-MadhurNeural"
};
speechConfig.SpeechSynthesisVoiceName = voices[targetLanguage];
using SpeechSynthesizer speechSynthesizer = new SpeechSynthesizer(speechConfig);
SpeechSynthesisResult speak = await speechSynthesizer.SpeakTextAsync(translation);

Python: 

voices = {
    "fr": "fr-FR-HenriNeural",
    "es": "es-ES-ElviraNeural",
    "hi": "hi-IN-MadhurNeural"
}
speech_config.speech_synthesis_voice_name = voices.get(targetLanguage)
speech_synthesizer = speech_sdk.SpeechSynthesizer(speech_config)
speak = speech_synthesizer.speak_text_async(translation).get()

✅ 8. Run the Program

From the terminal in the translator folder:

C#: 

dotnet run

Python: 

python translator.py

Follow the prompts, enter one of: fr, es, or hi, and speak or play your audio file.

📝 Notes

  • You can retrieve all translations from result.translations.
  • The Hindi output may not render properly in some consoles due to encoding.
  • Azure allows both mic and file input; you can choose dynamically.