WHY use translation? Suppose you don’t know a word because it is a foreign word in your reading, such as “adieu.” You might need to translate it into English or your native language to understand the meaning. Or your learner’s native language is not the language the material is written in. The learner may need to translate parts of it into their native language so that they better comprehend the material.
The WHO could be any learner, including yourself. We are all lifelong learners. If a learner is struggling with the language - for instance, a learner whose first language is English and is reading Spanish or the reverse - a learner with Spanish as their native language and is reading English. When learners struggle, translate the course content to the native language and notice frustration decrease and comprehension increase.
WHEN you observe a language learner displaying frustrated behavior, show them how to use the translation feature in ReadSpeaker. After translating the word or phrase, talk with the learner about how they can use the tool. Remember, Google Translate and DeepL (the two translation tools that ReadSpeaker uses) translate words and phrases. When the learner translates a sentence, paragraph, page, or larger set of materials, the translation tool reverts to word-by-word translation.
How do you use the translation tool found in ReadSpeaker?
After a few moments, a pop-up block with the translation appears. You can listen to the translation if ReadSpeaker has a voice that matches the language. Learners can read the translation on the screen if no voice is available.