Can You Learn a Language with Google Translate?

Although I just spoke about how you should always make sure to throw at least one entire phrase or sentence into Google Translate at a time, there’s actually nothing stopping you from translating texts that are much, much larger. 

On its main “text” page, Google Translate allows you to translate 5,000 characters at a time. That’s more characters than I’ve used to write this entire blog post up to this point!

However, if you have an even larger text to translate, you can turn to Google Translate’s Documents tab, which allows you to upload entire text documents to be translated.

Why is it useful for Google Translate to be able to translate entire documents at a time?

Because this means we can use it to create bilingual texts with audio (affiliate), all in a moment’s notice.

How do you do this?

First you need a text in your target language. You should always start with an authentic target language text (affiliate), so that you are not learning from incorrect or inaccurate language.

When you have your text, you can type, paste, or upload it to Google Translate, and have the system translate that text into your mother tongue.

A few moments later and...voila! You’ve now got a bilingual version of your original text, in both your target language and your native language. You can then use a resource like this to read through the original “foreign” version, using the translated version as a guide when you get lost, or want to know the definition of a word.

I’ve been using this process recently in my Danish learning, and it has been amazingly helpful:

First, I grab the subtitles from a video on my favorite Danish YouTube channel, called WTF er det? 

Then, I simply copy the text, paste it into Google Translate and I’ve instantly got an interesting and enjoyable learning resource.

There is one problem with creating bilingual texts with Google Translate, though, which you may have already thought of:

Google Translate’s translations are often decently accurate, but not accurate enough to be considered perfect, or at least equal to what a human translator would give you. 

Though this may seem worrisome at first, we need to remember the reason why we’re using a machine translator in the first place: to get a free and quick translation that’s at the very least comprehensible. 

The translation into your native language does not have to be perfect. It has to be good enough for you to understand the text in your target language. In this regard, I think that Google Translate does a respectable job, especially compared to other translators, and even earlier versions of Google Translate itself.

1. Translate Simple Texts

The more complicated a text is, the more likely Google Translate will have a hard time translating it. So, as much as you’d like to use the service to get a quick and free translation of Dostoyevsky’s The Brothers Karamazov (Бра́тья Карама́зовы), the end result probably isn’t going to be very useful to you.

To get as accurate a translation as possible, you should stick to simple texts, like the ones normally written for the benefit of beginner and intermediate language learners. Anything more complex (like slang, academic articles, or literature), and the translations might look like gibberish. 

2. Translate Between Close Languages

There are certain linguistic features that can make it easier for Google Translate to give you a reliable translation between two languages.

The most useful of these is probably syntax, which is the set of rules that govern the order of words in a sentence. Languages that share the same order of elements (the order in which grammatical subjects, objects, and verbs appear, for example) can be easily translated back and forth.

Languages that are “genetically” related usually share the same syntax, so if you are using two languages from the same language family (or even a larger grouping), your ultimate translation will be much better.

In this way, it is very easy for Google Translate to translate reliably from Spanish to Italian, Italian to English, English to Polish, and so on. Even unrelated languages that have the same word order (like English and Chinese) can be translated more accurately between each other.

But what if you’re learning a language like Japanese, and your native language is English?

You’re not entirely out of luck. Google Translate’s ability to translate between syntactically different languages (English and Japanese, Italian and Korean, etc) has improved dramatically in recent years, but in general, the translations still remain quite flawed, and often confusing.

Fortunately, though, there are a number of other translation products available that do a better job at translating between these specific languages, and many of those have the same features as Google Translate.

3. Prepare Yourself for a Target Language Conversation

Another engaging and smart way to use Google Translate is to use it to prepare speaking sessions with your tutor or language partner. When you have scheduled time for a conversation, be sure to spend at least twenty minutes beforehand preparing yourself. You can do this by using Google Translate to research words and phrases that will be useful in your upcoming conversation.

Let’s assume that you and your tutor or language partner do not have a conversation topic chosen in advance. As a result, you can decide to talk about any topic under the sun.

I’ve always found that it’s easiest and most motivating to talk about topics that we care about. Topics that motivate and interest us. That make us tick, so to speak. 

So pick a topic that you’re really passionate about, and then imagine the kinds of things you can talk about when you bring that up in conversation. You don’t have to do this in your target language just yet—just imagine what a conversation on your chosen topic could look like.

Then, try to simulate the conversation in your target language. You can even play the role of your “partner” too, if you’d like. 

As you do this, you’ll realize that there are things that you want to say in your target language, that you don’t actually know how to say.

No worries! That’s what we need Google Translate for!

Whenever you find that there’s something in your simulated conversation that you want to say, but can’t, simply throw it into Google Translate, and write down the result. Then, keep your list of “unknown” phrases with you, and try to use them when you actually meet with your speaking partner. 

That’s what I do every time I have a conversation with my Hungarian tutor. 

For example, I often love learning about astronomy, cosmology, and space travel. So, whenever I learn a new language, these are topics I often try to talk about in that language.

So one day, last year, I was meeting with my Hungarian tutor, and decided to talk about the moon landing. That’s not an easy topic, as you can imagine. There were all sorts of words and phrases that I would need to learn, but didn’t yet know. 

Notice how I don’t put single words, and insead put phrases or short sentences. Remember the rule—no single words, ever!

Once I had my translated phrases, I was able to put them to use effectively when talking to my Hungarian tutor. 

Even though this technique often does often go according to plan, it’s useful to remember that conversations are often unpredictable. Sometimes, your conversation will take an unforeseen turn, and you’ll realize that there’s a phrase or two that you need, but don’t know how to say in your target language. 

Again, no need to worry! As we’ve already mentioned, Google Translate is super fast, so you can always just open it up on your computer or phone, and get a quick translation on the spot. Since your tutor or language partner is with you, you can also get immediate feedback on the correctness of the translated phrase or sentence!

Now, with that piece of advice, you might be worried that using Google Translate during a conversation is like cheating on an academic exam.

Trust me, it’s nothing of the sort. If you use Google Translate in this way, you’re using it to facilitate conversation, rather than allowing yourself to get stuck in those awkward moments where you’re desperately trying to think of a word you need, but it won’t come. 

Seriously. If you’re worried about this, I recommend that you actually tell your partner or  tutor upfront that you will be using Google Translate for quick translation. There is freedom in truth, and no shame in using technology to facilitate communication and help you speak better. 

Remember: a conversation (in most cases) is not a level test, or a performance to be critiqued. It is a connection that benefits both people the easier it naturally flows.

Conclusion