Easy and effective way to do bitranslation

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tommus
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Location: Kingston, ON, Canada
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Easy and effective way to do bitranslation

Postby tommus » Wed Feb 03, 2021 8:32 pm

There has been quite a bit of discussion on the Forum recently about the effectiveness of bitranslation. Here is a method that works for me, and it is very easy to implement. It is much easier than all these steps may suggest. Just try it.

Tools and resources:

- Google Translate
- a computer notebook
- an audio recorder such as Audacity
- a list of suggestions of words or topics you want to learn or practice

1. Set GT to translate from your native language (L1) to your target language (L2).
2. Activate the "Translate by voice" microphone on GT.
3. Using L1, speak one or more sentences about one of your suggestions.
4. De-activate the GT microphone.
5. Check that GT got your L1 sentence correct. Manually edit if necessary.
6. Review the L2 translation.
7. Play the L1 voice by clicking on the speaker symbol. Then L2.
8. Repeat as you wish.
9. Copy the text of L1 and L2 to your notebook.
10. IMPORTANT: Now switch L1 and L2 in GT by clicking on the two opposing arrows near the top.
11. Click the microphone again and read L2 from your notebook so that GT will input your L2 voice.
12. Repeat if necessary so that GT can correctly recognise your L2 input.
13. Repeat the L2 by reading and also just from memory. Work on your L2 pronunciation.
14. Look only at the L1 text and say your L2 translation into GT.
15. If you want an audio recording of all this, set Audacity to record it with this setting:
Transport --> Transport options --> Sound activated recording (checked)
You may need to adjust the Sound activation level in the same menu so that it stops recording when there is no sound.
16. Repeat to your heart's content!!! Do it for all manner of topics. Build your "language islands".
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MorkTheFiddle
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Languages: English (N). Read (only) French and Spanish. Studying Ancient Greek. Studying a bit of Latin. Once studied Old Norse. Dabbled in Catalan, Provençal and Italian.
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Re: Easy and effective way to do bitranslation

Postby MorkTheFiddle » Thu Feb 04, 2021 7:04 pm

tommus wrote:There has been quite a bit of discussion on the Forum recently about the effectiveness of bitranslation. Here is a method that works for me, and it is very easy to implement. It is much easier than all these steps may suggest. Just try it.

16. Repeat to your heart's content!!! Do it for all manner of topics. Build your "language islands".


This is ingenious and brilliant, Tommus! 8-) Works exactly as you describe. But that step #16 is a wee bit devilish. I am glad I only tinker with a couple of languages, otherwise I might be up all night. :D Thanks for this.
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