Abstract: This invention is directed to language translating apparatus and methods therefor which act, under program control, to enable automatic writing systems of the type disclosed herein, to be simply and easily adapted to operate with keyboard input peripherals which are standard outside the United States. The language translator apparatus herein permits the automatic writing system to be modified to accept the standard keyboard and print wheel arrangement employed in a plurality of countries merely by its inclusion as a peripheral and adapting the keys on the keyboard for a given country. When data is entered into the system at the keyboard, the language translator peripheral, which includes a plurality of translator ROM's, is active to translate the resulting input codes into recordable system codes to which the automatic writing system as a whole may respond.