diff --git a/app/src/main/java/com/mapbox/services/android/navigation/testapp/activity/navigationui/NavigationViewActivity.java b/app/src/main/java/com/mapbox/services/android/navigation/testapp/activity/navigationui/NavigationViewActivity.java
index 1becc2befc6..a5b6784c679 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/com/mapbox/services/android/navigation/testapp/activity/navigationui/NavigationViewActivity.java
+++ b/app/src/main/java/com/mapbox/services/android/navigation/testapp/activity/navigationui/NavigationViewActivity.java
@@ -49,6 +49,7 @@
 
 import java.util.ArrayList;
 import java.util.List;
+import java.util.Locale;
 
 import butterknife.BindView;
 import butterknife.ButterKnife;
@@ -307,15 +308,15 @@ private String getUnitTypeFromSharedPreferences() {
     return unitType;
   }
 
-  private String getLanguageFromSharedPreferences() {
+  private Locale getLanguageFromSharedPreferences() {
     SharedPreferences sharedPreferences = PreferenceManager.getDefaultSharedPreferences(this);
     String defaultLanguage = getString(R.string.default_locale);
     String language = sharedPreferences.getString(getString(R.string.language_key), defaultLanguage);
     if (language.equals(defaultLanguage)) {
-      language = localeUtils.inferDeviceLanguage(this);
+      return localeUtils.inferDeviceLocale(this);
+    } else {
+      return new Locale(language);
     }
-
-    return language;
   }
 
   private boolean getShouldSimulateRouteFromSharedPreferences() {
diff --git a/libandroid-navigation/src/main/java/com/mapbox/services/android/navigation/v5/navigation/NavigationRoute.java b/libandroid-navigation/src/main/java/com/mapbox/services/android/navigation/v5/navigation/NavigationRoute.java
index b87a4cb4ac8..7ddacf55f87 100644
--- a/libandroid-navigation/src/main/java/com/mapbox/services/android/navigation/v5/navigation/NavigationRoute.java
+++ b/libandroid-navigation/src/main/java/com/mapbox/services/android/navigation/v5/navigation/NavigationRoute.java
@@ -275,15 +275,15 @@ public Builder alternatives(@Nullable Boolean alternatives) {
      * select number of languages are currently supported, reference the table provided in the see
      * link below.
      *
-     * @param language a string value representing the language you'd like the instructions to be
+     * @param language a Locale representing the language you'd like the instructions to be
      *                 written in when returned
      * @return this builder for chaining options together
      * @see <a href="https://www.mapbox.com/api-documentation/#instructions-languages">Supported
      * Languages</a>
      * @since 0.5.0
      */
-    public Builder language(String language) {
-      directionsBuilder.language(new Locale(language));
+    public Builder language(Locale language) {
+      directionsBuilder.language(language);
       return this;
     }
 
diff --git a/libandroid-navigation/src/main/java/com/mapbox/services/android/navigation/v5/route/RouteFetcher.java b/libandroid-navigation/src/main/java/com/mapbox/services/android/navigation/v5/route/RouteFetcher.java
index 8a97796361c..9c50df58471 100644
--- a/libandroid-navigation/src/main/java/com/mapbox/services/android/navigation/v5/route/RouteFetcher.java
+++ b/libandroid-navigation/src/main/java/com/mapbox/services/android/navigation/v5/route/RouteFetcher.java
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@
 import com.mapbox.services.android.navigation.v5.utils.RouteUtils;
 
 import java.util.List;
+import java.util.Locale;
 import java.util.concurrent.CopyOnWriteArrayList;
 
 import retrofit2.Call;
@@ -101,7 +102,7 @@ private NavigationRoute.Builder buildRouteRequestFromCurrentLocation(Context con
   }
 
   private void addLanguage(NavigationRoute.Builder builder) {
-    builder.language(routeProgress.directionsRoute().voiceLanguage());
+    builder.language(new Locale(routeProgress.directionsRoute().voiceLanguage()));
   }
 
   private void addUnitType(NavigationRoute.Builder builder) {