Using translation tools like Google Translate can be helpful when learning English. However, relying too much on them can harm your ability to develop your English skills. In this post, I will discuss the risks of relying on Google Translate and how it can negatively impact your English skills.
Some students who have grown up with translation tools like Google Translate may use them too much. There’s a saying in English: “use it, or lose it.” This means that if you don’t practice a skill, you might lose that skill. For example, if you play the piano but take a long break from practicing, you won’t be as good as you were before. The same thing can happen with language skills. If you don’t practice using English, your ability to read and write in English may get worse. You need to practice regularly to just maintain your English skills.
Relying on tools like Google Translate can also damage your fluency in English. Fluency is the ability to speak and write smoothly in English. This is not easy and takes time and effort. There’s no shortcut to becoming fluent, but if you work consistently and make your own sentences, you can develop fluency. Every time you use Google Translate, you lose a chance to develop fluency.
It’s important to remember that Google Translate is not perfect and it makes mistakes. This is especially true when translating single words. For example, if you type “book” into Google Translate, it might give you the translation as “libro,” (Spanish) “livre,” (French) or “本” (Japanese) depending on the language you translate to. However, “book” is not just a noun, it can also be a verb meaning “to reserve,” such as “I want to book a table for two people” or “I have to book an appointment at the dentist’s.” In those cases, a better translation would be “reservar,” (“Spanish) réserver,” (French) or “予約する” (Japanese). Google Translate can be misleading, and these mistakes can affect your learning if you’re not careful.
In conclusion, although Google Translate can be helpful in learning English, it should not be relied upon too much. Students who overuse it can harm their ability to read and write fluently in English. Also, Google Translate is not always accurate and can make mistakes that mislead learners and slow down their progress. Therefore, it is crucial that you don’t use it too much and practice English consistently to develop real fluency in English.