How To Use Google Translation

Introduction

Languages are the barriers and bridges that both separate and unify humanity, an eternal paradox. Just a few years ago you either needed expert translators, used unreliable PDA translators that had tiny and slippery buttons, or downloaded half baked language translation apps and used all sorts of inadequate solutions (dictionary and phrase books included) to simply ask 'where is the toilet?' in a foreign language.

Not anymore. Google pooled its resources together on April 28th, 2006 to create Google Translate; an all in one language translation solution. If you can get  text onto a computer, either by copying, typing, or e-mailing, Google translate can translate it for you. Google's translation service is capable of translating between foreign languages (example: Spanish to Japanese), foreign languages into English (example: Chinese into English), English into a foreign language (example: English to Arabic).

The online language that website was first started to translate was Arabic, but has now evolved to be one the most efficient translators of the world's major languages. Want to know how to use Google translation? No problem, this easy to follow five step guide will show you exactly how to do so.

 

Step 1

The first step is to open a browser. You can do this on you internet capable Phone, Smartphone, Tablet, Laptop, Netbook, or desktop computer. Smartphone users on iOS and Android may download the Google translation app directly from their respective app stores.

Start by typing www.google.com, into a browser, once the search bar is present search for "Google Translate", you can even open Google translation directly by typing: translate.google.com directly into you browser URL window. This method may not work on some older types of phones though.

Step 2

The second step is to organize and prepare the text or website you need translated, if it's a text, whether Romanized or in native text, just copy it, then paste it into the left hand translation window. If it's a website just copy and paste the section you wish translated in the same window.

Step 3

The third step is to translate what you've managed to copy and paste into the translation window. Google translation is set up by default to auto detect a foreign language and translate it into English. Once you've pasted the text, Google translate will auto translate immediately. If you don't want an auto translation, you can  select the language and the hit the 'translate' button.

If you're translating English into another language, simply select 'English' as the language in the left language tab, and choose whichever language you wish to translate English into by selecting that language from the right language section tab. Once done simply click on the blue 'Translate' button.

Step 4

The fourth step is listening, as you can hear the translation if you wish to understand how the words are pronounced. Simply press the sound icon in the left hand window if you wish to hear the original version, or if you wish to hear the translated version, simply press the sound icon in the right window.

Step 5

The final step in using Google translation services is document translation. Whether from a foreign language into English or the other way around, all you need to is click the 'translate a document', this will take you to an upload link where you simply upload the page or pages you need translated and you're home free.

Tips

If you use Google Translate and the "translate a document" link disappears, you'll need to reload the webpage to get it back.

You can turn off auto-translate if you want.

Google Translate saves and remembers your top three translated languages.

If you constantly need to use translation services, consider Bookmarking Google Translate.

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