How to use an online translator when communicating with a foreigner. Which translator is the best - erasing language barriers in communication Using a special extension

Google translator

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In this article we will look at the topic of how to properly use a translator when learning foreign languages, using the example of the service Google Translate(Google translator).

According to the system of correct and comfortable learning of foreign languages, we we never “cram” words literally. You can read more about the system in the book ““. In short, the necessary words are remembered by themselves when systematically studying the language. If every day you spend, for example, English, 40-60 minutes, then you will notice that you will come across the same words, whether in grammar exercises, when watching a video, when going through an audio program or when reading a text. This way, words will naturally be remembered in the right context.

But, nevertheless, new unfamiliar words will come across and they should be recorded somehow; for these purposes, the translator from Google is perfect for us. The most important thing here is to do it right.

Why Google Translator? You can choose any other, the principle is the same. It’s just that for me, as a person who professionally studies foreign languages, Google Translate I like it the most. The Google Translator database is replenished and corrected by real people, thanks to To the Google Translate community. Personally, I myself also make corrections and participate in this process. This translator also provides tools for professional translators (in terms of people), it seems to me that these databases are also connected, but not a fact.

Plus, you can use Google on all your devices: computer, tablet, smartphone, this is very convenient if you are maintaining your list of words. For this you will only need accounting Google entry , to do this, just create your email address (yourlogin) @gmail.com. If you do not yet have a Google account, you can do this using the link.

So, the translator itself is available at translate.google.com. He has many “mirrors”, that is, other addresses, but this link leads to the main version of the translator. The picture below shows appearance and main functional Google translator.

Google translator / GoogleTranslate. Main functions.

If you want to remember a word, you can add it to your personal dictionary, this is done very simply and the picture below will explain this principle to you.

Google translator / GoogleTranslate. How to add a word to your personal dictionary.

GoogleTranslate. Words in the Phrasebook - a personal dictionary.

So, when you are studying English or another foreign language, if you come across an unfamiliar word, then:

1. You first translate it;

2. Add to your dictionary.

Let's say you are preparing homework that was given to you by a tutor or taking a lesson in an online course. You enter every unfamiliar word into your Google phrasebook by clicking this treasured star. When you come to a lesson with a teacher, you simply open this phrasebook and have this list before your eyes, having the opportunity to instantly clarify the translation and once again listen to the correct pronunciation of unfamiliar words that you came across in preparation for the current homework.

3. The most important! Remove all words from your list at the end of a lesson or unit from your course. You should not accumulate hundreds and thousands of words in your phrasebook. There is no point in copying the entire Google Translate database into your list). The list should not contain more than 20 words at a time. If you regularly learn the language, then you will come across the most popular words often, write 1-2-3 down again, and then you will definitely remember them.

The most common objection is: “How will I remember them? Why should I delete them if I don't remember? Maybe I should learn it first and then delete it?” And in that spirit.

Let me remind you once again that learning words by regular cramming is a road to nowhere. And once again I recommend reading the small free book ““, if you also have the objections described.

Many people, in the old fashioned way, write down new unfamiliar words in a notebook, which I call a black hole, since students write everything there, and when they need to find the word they are looking for, they leaf through it for a long time and often in vain. Even if you keep a separate notebook, when you write it all to the end, it will turn out that you have copied half the dictionary there, and to find a word, you need to leaf through it all. This is extremely unproductive, plus, the notebook will not be able to pronounce the word correctly, you can only use transcription.

For these purposes, writing out words, for current use and more optimal memorization, you can use Google translator, which helps you process current unfamiliar words when learning a foreign language, and if you come across a word several times, you will inevitably remember it with the correct pronunciation, so don’t be lazy to press the “Listen” button.

© Alex Baihou

1. In the Skype menu bar, click “Tools”.
2. Select the “Settings” item.

1. Open the “Basic” section.
2. Click on “Skype Translator”.
3. Place a checkmark next to the option Enable Skype Translator.
4. Click the “Save” button for the changes to take effect.

How to set up Skype Translator

1. Open a chat with the desired contact.
2. Next to the call buttons, there is a globe icon (the color of the globe indicates the state of the translator: gray - disabled, blue - enabled). When you click on the globe, a window with translator settings appears.
3. Pressing the switch turns the translator on and off.
4. Open the list of available languages.
5. We select the language of our interlocutor.

Types of transfers

1. Translation of text (that is, translation of messages).
2. Voice translation (so-called simultaneous translation).

As for simultaneous translation, it will be used during audio and video calls. The interlocutor will hear the translator's voice, and not your real voice (just like you will not hear the voice of the interlocutor). In addition, during a conversation, the translation text will be displayed in the call window.

When visiting a variety of Internet resources, each user encounters words and sentences in foreign languages. Sometimes there is a need to visit foreign sites. In this case, in the absence of proper knowledge, some problems may arise with the perception of available information. After all, without knowing English or German, you are unlikely to be able to understand the essence of this or that article.

What to do in this situation? The simplest solution is to translate the text using the functionality of the integrated translator. Our article will discuss exactly how to enable a translator in the Yandex browser and how to use it. Let's look at its main features, operating principle and possible problems.

Translating text in Yandex Browser

In order to automatically translate words, sentences or even pages, for example, from English into Russian, you do not need to use third-party extensions and applications, or download special software. The browser is equipped with an integrated utility that supports a huge number of languages ​​from all over the world, including not the most common and popular ones.

The program has several ways to translate text, available to every user absolutely free:

• Interface. Includes a context menu, settings, buttons and other elements.
• Marked text. Allows you to translate selected text, words, sentences, paragraphs into the language used in the system.
• Sites. Automatic or manual process of fully converting a page of any Russian-language or foreign resource.

Thus, Yandex.Browser will help you accurately translate an article or a separate part of it on absolutely any site without any problems. Just open your browser, find the resource you need and that’s it, you can read it in your native speech.

Interface translation

There are several options for translating websites and the text on them using the built-in plugin in Yandex Browser. But if you need to transform the browser itself, that is, the interface, buttons and other elements, then the built-in utility is not needed at all.

To change, you can use one of two available methods:

1. OS language changes. The browser defaults to the one installed in operating system language, and by changing it, you will thereby change it in the browser.
2. Change in settings.

If the language in the program for searching your computer has changed due to viruses or any other reason, or you just want to change it, you can do this as follows:

The added language will be in automatic mode selected on the left side of the screen. To apply it to the browser, just click “Finish”. After this, the problem will be solved and the interface will become the way you need.

Built-in translator

As mentioned above, Yandex.Browser has several ways to transform information: individual words, sentences and paragraphs, and translation of an entire page or site. Let's look at each of them in as much detail as possible.

Translation of words

To translate words and sentences there is a separate utility already built into the program. You don't even have to search for and install various extensions separately. To use it you just need to:

In addition, there is another, alternative option. For this:

1. Place the mouse cursor over the word.
2. Press the “Shift” key on the keyboard. The word will be highlighted and translated automatically.

Translation of pages

In Yandex.Browser, the built-in translator allows you to completely convert foreign sites with information in a foreign language. Typically, the browser automatically determines what language a particular page is in, and even if it differs from the one in which the browser operates, you will be offered a translation.

If for some reason the browser does not offer automatic translation, for example, because the page is not entirely in one of the languages, then you can always do it yourself:

After these simple manipulations, the site you need with all the information on it will be displayed in your language.

Translation problems

Like any other program, problems with the browser can occur. Let's figure out in what cases and why the built-in utility does not translate individual parts of text or entire pages. This is often possible in the following two situations:

1. Disable in browser settings. To fix this, do the following:

By following these instructions exactly, you can easily set up the translator and fix the problem as quickly as possible.

2. The browser and the site operate in the same language. That's why the extension doesn't work. Often this problem is due to the fact that the user has turned on the English interface, which is why the program does not even offer to change the text of the site. To resolve this issue, you need to change the interface language. We already wrote how to do this at the beginning of our article, so we should return to this subsection.

This way, all possible problems are solved and now if problems arise, you will know how to fix them.

Using a special extension

If for some reason the native translation method is not suitable for you, you can always use plugins that are installed directly into your browser.

There are a huge number of them, but we will look at the most popular ones:

Installing an extension (plugin)

Today, downloading and installing add-ons directly from the Yandex browser unfortunately does not work. But the way it works on the same engine as Google Chrome, we can use the official extension store from Google.

Online translators

It is impossible not to mention the various online service x allowing you to translate individual words, sentences or entire articles. Their main advantage is that they do not need to be installed on a computer, they are free and easy to use.

The main ones are: Google Translate, Yandex, Promt. They all have their pros and cons, and the last one suggests installing an additional software on computers, laptops and mobile devices.

However, you need to be prepared that the translated text will not always be of satisfactory quality. Unfortunately, this problem is associated with any machine translator, since its main role is not maximum beauty and readability, but assistance in understanding the general meaning of the text. Therefore, take this factor into account when using any online service or extension.

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Of course, it would be best to take a foreign language course, as the site already advised, or at least use the services of a professional translator, but if this is not possible at this stage, an online electronic translator will suit you, of which there are a huge number on the Internet today. It is important, when visiting a dating site, to know certain nuances of using machine translation, as well as the pros and cons that such services have.

Pros and cons of machine translation

The undoubted advantage of online translators is that they greatly expand your capabilities. Even if you speak excellent English or German, on a dating site you may receive a message in Italian or Swedish, and this is where machine translation comes in handy. At the same time, using an online translator is extremely simple. It is enough to copy the text that requires translation, paste it into a special form, select the translation direction, click OK, and your text is ready. This is such a lifesaver!

But still, you should not blindly trust such programs. They translate exactly what you write, often without taking into account the subtleties of the translation, and, of course, we are not talking about any play on words or transfer of intonations. Therefore, it is necessary to use such programs when writing very, very carefully and correctly.

Rules for correct online translation

Here are a few simple rules that will help you perform a correct translation using an online electronic translator:

Do not forget that quite often languages ​​differ in their structure (as in the case of Russian - English). The structure of a sentence in Russian allows for a free arrangement of words, and, as a rule, changing the order of words does not change the meaning of the phrase, but perhaps gives a certain style and shades of speech. For a Russian, both phrases will be correct: “I went to the cinema yesterday” and “I went to the cinema yesterday.” The structure of an English sentence presupposes a strict word order, violation of which will make the sentence meaningless, or even lead to a change in the meaning of the phrase. Therefore, if you correspond in English, always start a sentence with a subject and predicate, followed by additions, circumstance, etc. For example, “I went to the cinema yesterday.”

When writing a letter that you later plan to translate using an online translator, use clear, short phrases. This way the man will understand exactly what you wanted to say. We do not recommend using many adjectives or participial and adverbial phrases. If one sentence takes up several lines, then the likelihood of receiving incredible nonsense after machine translation increases many times over.

When writing a letter, try to use words that are not ambiguous. Otherwise, there is a high probability of discrepancies.

Before uploading a finished letter to an online translator, be sure to check it for errors and typos. We recommend typing the letter in the Word editor, checking the spelling by pressing the F7 key, and only then contacting a translator. Otherwise, you cannot be sure that the resulting foreign text is correct.

It is still advisable to have at least basic knowledge of the language so that you can check “offhand” the text obtained after machine translation. Otherwise, incidents are inevitable. Quite often there are situations when the stress in a word can be placed in different ways. The program selects any of the possible options and, moreover, not necessarily the one you had in mind. Imagine the state of a man who received the greeting “by road,” which means “road.” And this is just an online translator who interpreted the word “dear” as “dear”. It won't be surprising if the recipient is stupefied!
And further…

Don't write overly long stories if you don't understand the language well.

Of course, these rules from the site team could be called restrictions, since they impoverish both language and style, but in this case, an online electronic translator will cope with the task much more successfully and more accurately convey exactly what you would like to say.

How to use a translator if you receive a letter in a foreign language

An online translator will also come in handy when you receive a letter in a foreign language. Here you will have to work a lot more. When reading, awaken imaginative thinking and imagination. Only in this case will it be possible to understand the meaning of the letter. However, this is a matter of practice. At first it will seem to you that you are reading complete nonsense, but with experience, understanding will come. By the way, remember that your partner, using a translator program, reads approximately the same nonsense, from his point of view.

Choosing programs for online translation

A logical question would be which translator program to choose. You can only decide this yourself by trying out some of the huge number of similar products. My personal choice at one time was the online Google translator:

http://translate.google.ru/

Today it contains 59 languages, and there are twice as many translation directions, and its translations seemed to me to be as correct as possible.

Enjoy your communication on the Internet and learn languages!

Tata, especially for the site

One of the most popular online translators is Google Translator, which can translate texts in several dozen common languages. There are other popular online translators: Promt, Yandex.Translate, Prof-translate. The use of these translators is simplified to the limit, since the user only needs to go to home page, where forms for entering text and obtaining translation results are located. Moreover, the use of a translator is often free, and it works automatically.

How to get the translation you need?

To receive a translation, you should prepare in advance the phrases or fragment of text that need to be translated into a specific language. After this, you should go to the online translator’s page, where there are forms for entering the specified text and obtaining the result of the translator’s work. Before entering the desired text, you must select the language in which it is written, and also assign a translation language.

Some translators can independently determine the language of the input text based on its characteristic features. Immediately after assigning a language, the user can enter the required piece of text. The translation result is usually provided automatically and does not require waiting for a long time.

Features of using an online translator

Any online translator who works automatically uses a specific database of texts prepared by professional translators. Typical phrases and constructions are taken from such a base, since the translator assumes that in a particular case a certain phrase or expression should be translated in a specific way.

That is why it is usually impossible to achieve ideal accuracy of automatic translation; the user must independently edit the result obtained (although an inaccurate translation is sufficient to understand the meaning of the text). Some resources, including the Google Translate mentioned above, allow users to edit the translation directly on the site, since there are several possible options for each word or phrase.

If in automatic mode the program selects a specific option based on statistics and its popularity, then the user can independently edit the translation depending on the meaning of the rest of the text.