Can language learners utilize Google Translate effectively in their studies?

Question

Is Google Translator appropriate for comprehending certain phrases or words of target language which I come across?

Answer 1

Even though Google Translate was not reliable before, it has become better and more usable with common vocabulary. It is effective in grasping the meaning of some words and phrases, and it tracks past searches which could be revised together with a speaker of English in the future.

Comments

I actually still recommend writing notes by hand, especially if it's in another writing system. In my experience it not only helps you memorize vocabulary better but also makes you more familiar with this writing system and you get used to it quicker. I get that it can be tiring but for me it was definitely worth it. And I say that, having learned to write Chinese characters, which is true pain lol. I also agree that talking and listening to content in that language is very helpful, I also recommend watching series and movies that were originally in that language with subtitles. You slowly start to get which phrases to use in what context and just in general I think it's good to also see the people that are talking, maybe it's just me. Lastly, as hard as it may be, try not to directly run to Google translate for everything. Looking up words is fine but don't copy paste whole paragraphs. The people who did this while studying Chinese with me regretted doing so later on. I think everybody has their own way of learning things, so my tip is trying out what fits you best. Most important thing is having fun, though! If you don't enjoy it at all, it's not going to work :)

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I'm Egyptian and I'm trying to learn english so, can you make more content about this language as you are a native speaker.
we can learn more from you.
Thanks ☺️☺️
Mazen.

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Hey! Thanks for your content, I found it by chance but absolutely don't regret reading it. I'm still in college so I don't have time to learn new languages but it's definitely on top of my to-do list, and based on personal experience your advice feels trustworthy.
After my second year of middle school I started to really enjoy learning English so as I already watched lots of videos I started to watch some in English, and by my first year of high school I'd begin to speak English quite fluently, even though I wasn't aiming for this at all. And yes, enjoying yourself makes learning way more efficient.
As for Google translate, I genuinely agree that it has improved a lot over the last years. I'd say it used to be very literal, at least It felt like it. I'm French and I hear a lot that French grammar is a bit hard to master compared to other languages though as a native speaker it's difficult to judge. The point is, when I translated something, let's say 7/8 years ago, sure I sometimes could make out the meaning of the sentence I translated but most of the time it made no sense. Nowadays you'll almost always get a good French translation, and apparently it's not an easy language so yeah, massive improvement.

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All the mentioned resources are great. I would add people I meet abroad are interested in my profession, hobbies, personal things. To compile some information on myself I use Google Translate. Such information I would never find in any textbook, but I can translate it by Google Translate. Additionally, I can select an input keyboard which is especially useful for languages using special characters like my native language, Hungarian, or languages not using the Latin alphabet such as Hindi. मैं 71 वर्ष का हूँ, सेवानिवृत्त हूँ।