Day 5: Online Translators

Online translators can be a blessing and a curse.  Since different languages have different rules governing grammar and syntax, it is quite difficult to translate from one language to another by using an online translation program.  Although I can see that translation tools can be useful for my students, for instance when translating individual words, problems can arise when translating words and sentences that include idioms, thoughts, sentiments, etc.  Every language is rich and unique in nuances and patterns that cannot be duplicated or reflected by a computer program.  If you're fluent in at least two languages, I'm sure you can think of a phrase in one language that doesn't translate well into another, or if it does, doesn't carry the same feeling, depth or meaning.  Online translators can't make that distinction.  And language students need to understand that, especially when using them in order to lessen their workload.  The article offers teachers some interesting ideas for conveying to students that online translators can distort meaning which results in bad communication. 

Or you could try Bad Translator!  It is a humorous way for showing to students how the end result of online translation can be completely distorted. Here is the link:  

badtranslator

I don't mean to imply, however, that online translators are not a good source of information.  Rather, I am saying that we need to be aware that they  cannot always capture the true meanings of natural language and, thus, we should teach our students to avoid them when looking to translate large chunks of text for projects, essays, etc.  Using the old-fashioned dictionary is a good alternative and more conducive to learning.