![]() ![]() Take the text apart, sentence by sentence: But if you really want to make progress with your grammar and vocabulary, don’t auto-translate the whole text! Here’s what you can do instead: ![]() So, if you’re not in “study mode” and just quickly need to get the gist of a page, just click “translate” and you’ll get passable results. It’s like presenting a hungry person with a freshly baked pizza on the one hand, and a bunch of raw ingredients (flour, tomatoes, etc.) on the other. This is also why I don’t offer complete translations in my books, because when you first read a chapter in German and then get the translation in English served on a silver platter, it’s just too tempting to skip the (often frustrating) effort to parse the German altogether or just do it half-heartedly. Sure, you may have gotten the gist of the article, but you missed out on a chance to practice your existing knowledge and extend it.Įven if you switch back and forth between the original German and the English and nod knowingly, it can be easy to mistake the seamlessness of machine translation for your own text comprehension skills. When you come across a German news article as a beginner and just hit “translate”, the learning effect is virtually zero. So the question is not whether you should or shouldn’t use it, but how and when. And while Google Translate is still far from perfect, machine translation is getting better and better every day. Human beings will always use tools that make their life easier. Got it? Well …ĭo these misshaps prevent people from using it? Nope. Take the following for example, which still hasn’t been fixed: Language teachers often try to dissuade students from using it, because it can make horrendous and often funny mistakes. I feel similarly about tools like Google Translate. But depending on how you use it, it can be an immensely powerful tool to look up quick factoids or get a general overview about complex topics. When it comes to in-depth research nothing beats expert literature. #Quick translate to german freeWhen Wikipedia first became popular I remember my teachers and professors scoffing at it: “A free encyclopedia? On the Internet? Why, that can’t be good! You had better learn to use the library instead, young whippersnapper!”Īnd yet everyone still used it. ![]()
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