Is Google translate enough to learn more than one language?

Martinsx1 Level 1

November 28, 2018, 9:46 am

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Is Google translate enough to learn more than one language?

Google translate has been one of most useful tools for languages learning for most people who aren't privileged to know more than one language. There are so many languages that can be translated to your familiar language with ease and you can even download all the language within the Google translate application and use it offline.

But I keep wondering if the application is good enough to be used and learn more than one language adequately. Do you think it's possible to use Google translate to learn another language properly?

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Dogginet

Dogginet

I think that Google translator is not intended to learn the language at all. Its main task is to translate simple sentences, phrases and words. Even for more complex translations it is not worth using, as any other machine translator, because they can only translate verbatim, sometimes radically changing the meaning of the text itself. For such cases, I use manual translation services, for example, here is an overview of services for the Spanish language https://pickwriters.com/spanish-translation-services. If it comes to texts on study, business or documents, then only in this way you can make high-quality translations.

5 years ago

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theresajane

theresajane

You can always learn a pinch of a language with the help of Google translate, but you can never learn the whole language by just relying on it. We all know that Google translate doesn't give us the accurate translation always, thus, we still struggle at parts where idiomatic expressions and such are being used and we might be given a wrong information. It doesn't taught us how to construct sentences to as some translations may be word by word and not following the language's S-V-O. But, again, it can still help us know some words we need understanding.

6 years ago

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Kakashi2020

Kakashi2020

I do agree that Google Translate can help you understand a certain language to a degree. It really doesn't translate that well. You can see that in Facebook, where a lot of posters are translating their language to English and it always sounds gibberish and grammatically wrong.

6 years ago

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ElectorAlexande

ElectorAlexande

Yea, sometimes they can't translate the word, for instance google translate could not translate a chinese website for me.

6 years ago

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ElectorAlexande

ElectorAlexande

Ya that's true, google translate can be a pain in the ass but it helps a little.

6 years ago

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Bravosi

Bravosi

I want to share my personal experience, many years ago I was studying Spanish in university and we were constantly given copy-paste essays. I used to translate them in Google, and then just adjust the changes. Was a pain indeed, but better than writing the whole essay.

6 years ago

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Kakashi2020

Kakashi2020

I agree, Google Translate is really not that good in translating but it helps in getting the big picture. But in my opinion you shouldn't rely on it to learn another language.

6 years ago

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Youngshark

Youngshark

It can never apply for a long term solution especially when ones to learn afresh. Maybe only polishing or revising several words and phrases after attending the language class.

6 years ago

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Steve5

Steve5

That's true. It can only help you so much before you have to learn things the right way. Learning languages is a complex process. You might even need the help of someone well versed in it to improve your understanding.

6 years ago

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mark8625

mark8625

That is right. I used google translate before and it really sucks. It helps yes but not 100%. Try find something like application for translating words correctly.

6 years ago

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focusedwriter10

focusedwriter10

I agree because sometimes it translates its own things. You cannot depend on Google translate to learn another language.

6 years ago

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Jelineex

Jelineex

Google Translate contributes understanding and learning on some language which needs to be translated. Words, changes it's meaning on how it is use in a sentence. Which we can't find in google translate application. It needs a formal education to learn and use any language. But, it does help in translation.

6 years ago

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Kakashi2020

Kakashi2020

You got that right, in japanese anime there's a thing called Google translated subs and it's no good, it sounds gibberish and doesn't really get the translation right. It's the most hated form of subs in anime.

6 years ago

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Martinsx1

Martinsx1

Exactly! I have had some experience with using Google translate in not getting the correct translation which I needed but it still tries very well in getting something that is very close to what I needed the translation for.

6 years ago

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mark8625

mark8625

Google translate actually helps but it would give not all accurate and correct words exactly. I tried it and it actually gave me something weird translation.

6 years ago

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menchuuy58

menchuuy58

You got a point. At least we can have a little knowledge about a new language.

6 years ago

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theresajane

theresajane

Yes. It's better to have a little knowledge about a foreign language than knowing nothing at all. As they say here in our country, people who have knowledge have more advantages.

6 years ago

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Jelineex

Jelineex

Yes, it's an advantage to have knowledge on any field but it's not everyone applied their learning. Mostly, what we learn is thrown and ignored. Sometimes, people pretend that they know something but the truth is they don't understand it. They can't explain using their own analysis. It simply applies to the rule of reading. Any one can read but not everyone comprehend what they read.

6 years ago

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Judas2018

Judas2018

I think google translate is useful for learning a new language but if you're really looking to pull this off, you'd be better off with a program like Rosetta Stone.

6 years ago

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ElectorAlexande

ElectorAlexande

Yea, YouTube can do more better job in teaching language than Google Translate.

6 years ago

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Bravosi

Bravosi

YouTube is probably the best tool out there! I concur with you entirely! Especially it's great when you can communicate with the person tutoring you on a YouTube video. It's something Google Translate won't do (yet at least).

6 years ago

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theresajane

theresajane

I never heard of Rosetta Stone before. I must search this online, perhaps it could be more effective than YouTube, or I don't know.

6 years ago

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Martinsx1

Martinsx1

Please let me know more about this Rosetta Stone program and how I can have access to it. Is it a free or paid program? How does it work? Please forgive my bombarding you with a lot of questions because I'm very eager to learn more about the program like Rosetta Stone.

6 years ago

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Bravosi

Bravosi

Google translate is a vocabulary, rather than a tutoring website. The biggest problem with it is translating idioms, because it's a robot, and not a human. Perhaps technology will reach the necessary level one day.

6 years ago

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Kakashi2020

Kakashi2020

I agree, if you want to see a robotic type of translation then use Google Translate and it would look and sound gibberish at best.

6 years ago

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Kakashi2020

Kakashi2020

I've used Rosetta Stone in the past and it's really good. It's not perfect but it does give you good translations and you could really learn a lot from it.

6 years ago

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Martinsx1

Martinsx1

Thanks for the update on how good this program Rosetta Stone is when it comes to offering good translation. Since it's a free program just like Google translate, I'm definitely going try it out.

6 years ago

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Kakashi2020

Kakashi2020

Google Translate is a big help for people who wants to understand another language. By using it you would understand the essence of the statement but it's only about 60 percent correct. There's some words which it can't translate correctly.

6 years ago

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ElectorAlexande

ElectorAlexande

Yea possibly but I can't make use of Google translate because I won't learn a single thing and it also depends on the language you want to learn.

6 years ago

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Martinsx1

Martinsx1

Exactly! There are some languages that are not even uploaded and updated in Google translate. So, as much as it's going to be very effective in learning some languages, there are still some languages that are completely off track and reach from Google.

6 years ago

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Kakashi2020

Kakashi2020

Google Translate doesn't really know how to translate idioms, abbreviated words and slangs, that's why it's not too reliable when used in translating long sentences.

6 years ago

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Bravosi

Bravosi

Yeah, exactly, that's the most immidiate problem. But I wouldn't say it's 60 percent correct, I'd go for 80-85%. The major problem are translating long sentences and idioms. Oddly enough when you break your paragraph into smaller paragraphs Google Translate translates more accurately.

6 years ago

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ElectorAlexande

ElectorAlexande

I don't think Google Translate help in much way but I won't say it doesn't help at all because it does translate something but I will say it can't teach someone who doesn't understand the introduction to any language any thing. Lobatan.

6 years ago

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Barida

Barida

It helps to an extent which is the reason people like me even make use of it, but the truth is that there is always a limit to how it can help anyone translate from one language to another.

6 years ago

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Jelineex

Jelineex

Yes, I agree with you. To some extend it does contribute knowledge on what the language is all about. It gives us translation to be able to understand what a word or sentence is all about. But, it's still best to do formal education on any language to be able to used it properly.

6 years ago

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Martinsx1

Martinsx1

I have personally learnt a few Spanish language using Google translate and it's been very helpful, although there are still some areas where it lacks in the job.

I would give the Google translate application 61% in being effective in helping one to learn a new language.

6 years ago

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theresajane

theresajane

Even though Google Translate can be a headache sometimes, we cannot deny that it helped us so many times and went to it to ask for help about a foreign word. It's still very useful, but it's not perfect.

6 years ago

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Martinsx1

Martinsx1

Exactly! There is no denying how useful Google translate application could be when it comes to offering language translation. Even though it's not perfect, it still does a reasonable decent job that without it, it would be very difficult to translate at all if you are not skilled in the language.

6 years ago

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Kakashi2020

Kakashi2020

If you want to learn another language then there's a lot of free tools online in which you could learn it properly. Google Translate.i s not a really good tool to learn languages correctly.

6 years ago

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Martinsx1

Martinsx1

Which free online tools can you recommend specifically for learning new languages?

Personally, I don't really trust anything that is free because there are bound to be loopholes in the tools.

6 years ago

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Barida

Barida

For me, I don't really think that it is enough since it is going to give you a hint on some difficult words in the other languages. Also, because it is just a software translation, it may not really give you a different meanings of words when you make use of it.

6 years ago

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Martinsx1

Martinsx1

There is no doubt about Google translate having its downsides. It actually the reason why I brought it out in an open discussion to hear other people's thoughts about it and probably get their recommendations on what's best to use.

6 years ago

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luv2xacosta

luv2xacosta

Sometimes google translate word for word and some of the words translated is wrong. I think it would be better if you have to study foreign language instead of relying in google translate.

6 years ago

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Martinsx1

Martinsx1

As much as I know that Google translate can't do everything right, I'm still very well impressed with what the application software can do.

The feature in Google translate which I appreciate so much it's the camera capture translation. Have you tried it yet?

6 years ago

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HappyLady

HappyLady

I once sent a dutch friend a letter using Google Translate. She informed me I made no sense at all. Personally, I would prefer to learn the language. These days there are many online learning tools that give an interactive experience to help you do that. Google translate works to an extent as I sometimes use it on Facebook to understand what a friend is saying, but it seems better for individual words, not a whole letter or beyond.

6 years ago

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Martinsx1

Martinsx1

I have personally programmed my Google translate to automatically boot up whenever I copy another language that is not English on my Facebook page or account.

This makes it very easy to use and navigate the application in getting the best out of it. But I have noticed some errors in translation as well and part of it comes from how the message was written at first.

6 years ago

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Janie1994

Janie1994

100% no, Google translate is useful if you have already started learning the language and need help with spelling, grammer in a pinch (it might not get the words right but will have the correct structure) or checking to see if there are other words to be used. A much better app to use to learn a foreign language in Duolingo, it has a better reputation and will teach you actual grammatical structures. You can practice speaking, writing, listening, and word identification. Google translate is like using a calculator to learn math, you don't learn all the necessary elements to achieve success on your own.

6 years ago

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rose61

rose61

Google translate helps a little.However,some languages cannot be translated without loosing context of the original information,not to mention that some words don't have an accurate translation to and from English.

6 years ago

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Artois52

Artois52

Google translate is helpful, but it makes a lot of mistakes. I wouldn't use it to learn another language.

6 years ago

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vhinz

vhinz

I tried using this application translating sentences I've written in my native language which is Tagalog into different languages. Here is the sample outputs:

In English:

"Google translate is an application that can be used to translate a language into another language. it can help build sentences. This example I wrote using the tagalog language so I can try to translate google translate into English. I think this will help big but I can not say it's perfect."

In Bangla:
"Gugala anub?da ?ka?i a?y?plik??ana y? ?ka?i bh??? an'ya bh????a anub?da karat? byabah?ra kar? y?t? p?r?. ??? b?kya nirm??a karat? s?h?yya karat? p?r?na. ?'i ud?hara?a?i ?mi ?y?galaga bh??? byabah?ra kar? likh?chi t?'i ?mi gugala anub?dak? inr?j?t? anub?da kar?ra c???? karat? p?ri. ?mi ?'i ba?a s?h?yya karab? man? kari kintu ?mi ??? nikhum?ta balat? p?r?na n?."

In Greek:
I metáfrasi Google eínai mia efarmogí pou boreí na chrisimopoiitheí gia ti metáfrasi mias glóssas se álli glóssa. boreí na voithísei stin kataskeví protáseon. Aftó to parádeigma égrapsa chrisimopoióntas ti glóssa tagalog óste na boró na prospathíso na metafráso to google metafrázo sta angliká. Nomízo óti aftó tha voithísei megálo, allá den boró na po óti eínai téleia."

In English, the thought that I want to express has been translated in understandable form but the sentence construction is not so accurate. I don't know about Bangla and Greek so I'm not really sure if Google translate did it well.

For me, Google translate is a great application that could help learning another language but it is not enough. Learning other languages will be efficient if you are going to learn it from the native speakers.

6 years ago

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knnon

knnon

Google translate can be helpful to a point. To a point meaning, though it's useful at translating basics and such it is still not 100% precise. I've experienced this when I tried translating my native language on Google translate. I think you'll have a much better chance at learning something from free apps on your mobile.

6 years ago

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overcast

overcast

Google translate is a machine algorithm so it is not enough to learn. In case of learning you need real people. And people who can ask you questions. And in return you are going to answer those questions. I have found out that google translate in such case is a good language translator. But it is not a good learner applications.

6 years ago

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anyone01

anyone01

It is able to translate some simple sentences and single words however it tends to have many errors, not most effective on grammar but additionally at the structure of the sentences. Google Translate may be good only to get the overall concept of a text.

6 years ago

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Jeane

Jeane

It's not possible to use Google translate to learn another language. Sure you could know the meaning of words but how would you learn to use them in sentences unless you actually learn that from other sources? I think since there are many youtube channels where someone could learn virtually any language that is where someone who wants to learn a new language should start.

In addition to youtube, there are other numerous smartphone apps that could help and speed up the process too..

6 years ago

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rlpzbeermoney

rlpzbeermoney

Google translate is just useful to get the gist of the message IMO. Most of the time, it's still just translating every individual word by word and not the actual words used by the speakers of that language. In short, the conversational version of that message. I don't think using Google translate is useful for learning another language because of that.

6 years ago

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Bravosi

Bravosi

Google translate is a support tool. I believe you can't use it to learn languages properly. Even the dictionary is mistaken sometimes. So you should go for articles or websites that focus on teaching languages.

6 years ago

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Franzel2oo

Franzel2oo

Google translate could be a very useful tool for those who need to communicate in a language they are clueless about. It is especially helpful when you need to translate words and short phrases, and not long complex sentences. This is because google translate often works by translating words for their individual meanings rather than for their contextual meaning within the sentence. What this means is you often get poorly constructed or misleading sentences. I won't recommend Google as a place to fully learn a language.

6 years ago

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Youngshark

Youngshark

I think that Google translate is only meant to help with minor tasks like a few words or phrases and there are instances when the translation is lost.

6 years ago

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menchuuy58

menchuuy58

I think it is enough for me. I learn new language little by little. I want to master few words before learning more new words.

6 years ago

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allyn2017

allyn2017

I don't think so, since I have encountered a lot of errors in translating using Google translate.

6 years ago

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gutzman

gutzman

I don't think Google translate is enough to learn more than one language. It is indeed a very good tool especially in translating some words because it covers a lot of languages but the correct grammar capability of the tool is still poor. If you would rely on it, you'll only learn how to translate word by word or be grammatically incorrect when translating phrases or sentences. This will only lead to poor comprehension but we could always use google translate as a mini guide.

6 years ago

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edencaga

edencaga

Not all words can translate by google. I think it's only limited and not all were input there so when we try to translate some of words it's either a different sentences or some words were translated while others were not so it depends what words were input to the system. It doesn't really give you correct grammar but somehow it helps me to understand words or languages of other countries.

6 years ago

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Kakashi2020

Kakashi2020

In my opinion learning another language correctly can't be done solely by using Google Translate because it has a number of glitches. Also it does not recognize a lot of words. It's translation ratio is just about 60 percent.

6 years ago

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Steve5

Steve5

I honestly don't think so. Yes, it can be helpful at times. But even then it's at a limited capacity. Formal training is much more preferable when it comes to language learning. You're better able to grasp and understand the nuances of each language.

6 years ago

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amosgwapo

amosgwapo

No you can’t Google Translate can help you with individual words, but not with phrases. That's why there is little, if any, value in using it for language learning.

6 years ago

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mhingnhormz

mhingnhormz

Is google translate enough to learn more than one language: Google have more than one language being translate. Each of us can choose one of them. Google have an English, Cebuano, Tagalog, Spanish and so many other languages that we can find through google.

6 years ago

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jaymish2

jaymish2

I don't agree with this. I find that the translation is not accurate and not useful. I honestly don't thin that you can learn another language on Google translate. I think that google still has a long way with this app. It needs to get it more accurately translated. I think that if you look at the translations you will agree with me. From me this app gets a negative vote. I've tried translating English to French and it was completely off.

6 years ago

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ajahcuizon

ajahcuizon

I agree. It is not accurate as there are a lot of grammatical errors to be corrected when translating a sentence. This became an issue before and there is also a meme about this. I also don't think that google translate may help learning a new language but it will help in translating words anyway.

6 years ago

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ajahcuizon

ajahcuizon

Google translate may help you in translating words and phrases, but you cannot learn on how to properly construct a sentence with Google translate. I have seen a lot of grammatical error with google translate. It appears that it will only translate by words and not by the thought of sentence. It will not teach you on how to properly say or express your sentence. I don't trust Google that much when it comes to translating, there are some words that needs to be corrected, but it is still a great big help for me.

6 years ago

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Corzhens

Corzhens

I don’t think you can really learn a foreign language with an app or even with Google Translate because my take on learning a language is by speaking it. This reminds me of our trip to Beijing that I relied on Google Translate for communicating with the Chinese. But unfortunately I didn’t know that Google was banned in China hence I couldn’t use Google and even Facebook was also banned.

6 years ago

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dzonyfox2

dzonyfox2

Well, I believe that google translate can help you to communicate with a language you are learning, but not much more then that. It can't really teach you the grammar and the rules of the language. What is even worse is that many times google translate translates sentences literally, which can lead to wrong sentence meaning. So if you are trying to learn a new language just by using google translate, be careful. There can be some misunderstandings.

6 years ago

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Carrascoshiela

Carrascoshiela

Google translate can help you with the learning process but not entirely. Some of the traslation is not accurate so you cant rely on it everytime. There is a lot of tutorials posted online you can try watching it. What will make you really enhance your chosen language is practice with someone who speaks the language natively.

6 years ago

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shokoman

shokoman

I think that Google translator is not suitable for learning the language. In my opinion, it is not even intended for high-quality translation, especially context. I use it only for domestic purposes, and for more serious translations other services.
I think that Google translator is not designed to learn the language. In my opinion, it is not even intended for high-quality translation, especially context. I use it only for domestic purposes, and for more serious translations other services.

5 years ago

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xosta

xosta

That's the worst way to learn a language. Of course, it's better to study with a tutor, and there are many of them on the internet, so it shouldn't be a problem to find the right specialist. I managed to discover an English tutor on https://livexp.com/skills/english, and I can tell you that the teachers there are great because they know how to make you understand everything.

3 years ago

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mollychopps22

mollychopps22

Of course, this is not enough. Yes, you can learn a lot of unfamiliar words, but in practice, you will not be able to say anything properly. For this, it is better to go to university. By the way, I recently wrote about Cornell University, I used https://studymoose.com/university/cornell-university for this. It's really a very good university. Where you can gain knowledge, and most importantly, you can learn the language.

3 years ago

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