Why learning a language is better than using machine translation

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Reading time: 7 minutes

As technology and AI translation tools continue to advance, it's becoming increasingly tempting to rely on them for language-related tasks. However, this can potentially undermine motivation to learn a new language when technology seems to offer a shortcut. While machine translation can be helpful, it also has its limitations.

Learning a language goes beyond just communication; it opens the door to different cultures, mindsets, and perspectives of the world. Machine translation, despite its efficiency, cannot replicate the cultural immersion that comes with learning a language. Spoken language nuances, idiomatic expressions, cultural references, and implicit rules that are second nature to native speakers are often lost in translation. Let's delve deeper into why learning a language is better than solely relying on machine translation.

Why learning a language is better than machine translation
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Common translation issues

Machine translation isn't 100% perfect yet

In recent years, machine translation technologies have made significant strides. However, they can still struggle to capture the intricacies of the source language and accurately convey them in the target language, such as idioms, metaphors and wordplay, often providing a literal translation that lacks context.

A lack of knowledge about the written language or cultural norms can lead to misinterpretations and misunderstandings. Employing effective translation strategies can help address these challenges, but that takes time, testing and resources.

Some words and expressions, like the Danish ‘,’ have no direct translation and can be lost in machine translation. Machine translation networks can interpret nearly identical sentences differently due to their sensitivity to small variations. This inconsistency, along with the potential inclusion of human biases from its learning data, makes the reliability of these translations questionable at best.

Machine translation can miss context

Context is paramount in effective communication. It’s the cultural, social and linguistic backdrop that gives words their full meaning. Unfortunately, machine translation often fails to take context into account, resulting in translations that can miss the mark.

As language constantly evolves, incorporating new expressions, grammar and slang, machine translations face challenges in keeping up. This one example highlights the risk of missing context in translations and underscores the need for human translators who can navigate these changes and understand the subtleties of language.

Also these systems may segment text improperly due to complex formatting, causing translations to lack context if they’re cut in the middle of sentences.

Cultural nuances can be overlooked

Another aspect where machine translation can struggle is in recognizing and accurately translating terms of address that can vary based on certain aspects unknown to it, like age, title, relationship or social hierarchy.

For example, languages like Korean and Japanese are particularly rich in this respect, with a complex system of honorifics that can change the entire tone of a conversation. These honorifics are deeply embedded in the culture and are a crucial part of respectful communication. They signal the speaker's relationship to the listener, their relative social status, and level of formality required by the situation.

Machine translation systems may not discern these kinds of subtleties, often defaulting to the most direct or common translations without considering the context. This can lead to significant errors in communication, as using the wrong term of address might be seen as rude or inappropriate by fluent speakers.

Machine translations can lack personality

While translation technology has come a long way in terms of accuracy and fluency, it still falls short when it comes to capturing the personality or "soul" of a text. Language is not just a set of rules and vocabulary; it is a living, breathing form of expression that conveys emotions, tone and the unique style of the speaker or writer.

Every language carries its own cultural weight and subtleties, which are often intertwined with humor, irony and personal flair. These nuances are what give a language its richness and depth, and they are also what machine translations most frequently miss.

When you read a beautifully crafted piece of writing, be it literature, poetry or a heartfelt letter, you are not just processing information; you are experiencing the author's personality and emotional undertones. The choice of words, the rhythm of sentences, and the use of literary devices are all deliberate choices made by the author to evoke certain feelings and reactions.

Machine translations however, tend to operate on a purely functional level, prioritizing literal meanings over stylistic elements, thus stripping away the original flavor and personality of the text. They may be able to copy someone's style of writing, but they need that initial dataset to pull from; without the data, a machine would struggle.

Technology isn't always at hand to do the work for you

Despite technology simplifying language translation, it isn’t always available or dependable. There may be times when you don’t have access to the internet, when your translation app doesn’t work as expected or when there just simply isn't time. In these situations, knowing the language can be invaluable.

Being self-reliant in communication is crucial in a world where technology is constantly evolving. It’s about developing the confidence to navigate and use technology effectively without constant assistance. Just as we need to be self-reliant in using technology, we also need to be self-reliant in communication. And that means learning languages.

Advantages of learning a new language

Career opportunities

Proficiency in multiple languages can open up a wide range of career opportunities. Companies are on the lookout for multilingual employees for their capacity to foster positive client relationships and demonstrate cultural awareness. Bilingual individuals are particularly sought after in fields such as U.S. government agencies, the business market, engineering and the medical field.

Being bilingual not only gives you a competitive edge in the job market but also highlights your motivation and determination. These are qualities that employers value highly. Studies have also found that bilingual individuals have improved problem-solving and critical-thinking skills, which are highly valued across most career fields.

On top of that, bilingual employees can earn more money per hour on average than those who only speak one language (depending on the industry), according to various and . So learning a language can literally pay off.

More genuine interactions

Learning a language involves more than just memorizing a word list. You’re delving into a new way of thinking and using new sentences and expressing yourself. You’re learning how to communicate more effectively and authentically with people from different cultures. And that can lead to more genuine and meaningful interactions.

There are lots of different approaches and techniques to studying and learning new words. But to truly master a language, you need to use those vocabulary words in context, to understand their nuances and subtleties. And that’s something that machine translation just can’t provide.

Ultimately learning a language goes beyond mere communication - it’s about making connections. It’s about understanding and appreciating the rich tapestry of human cultures and experiences. And it’s about enriching our own lives through the process of learning and discovery.

Personal Identity

Embarking on the journey to learn a language also paves the way for self-discovery. It helps shape our personal identity and gives us a deeper understanding of ourselves and the world around us. When we learn a new language, we’re not just learning a new way of communicating, we’re also learning a new way of thinking and viewing the world.

Being proficient in foreign languages can:

  • Broaden our cultural horizons and allow us to appreciate different cultural practices and worldviews

  • Encourage adaptability and openness to new experiences

  • Foster a global mindset

  • Promote personal growth through the development of discipline and the pursuit of continuous learning

The process of language acquisition can be a transformative experience.

Learning a second language is good for your brain

In addition to social and career advantages, learning a language also benefits your brain health. Research, such as the study conducted by Mechelli et al. (2004) in "," has shown that bilingual individuals have denser grey matter in their brains, compared to monolingual individuals. This can enhance cognitive abilities, such as improved memory, better problem-solving skills and increased mental agility.

Regularly using a second language has been linked to a stronger memory, with research indicating better performance on memory tests among bilingual individuals, affecting both short-term and long-term memory, as suggested by the study conducted by Bialystok et al. (2004) in "". Learning a foreign language can also enhance communication skills, increasing empathy and the ability to see things from another perspective, which in turn benefits everyday communication.

Creativity is yet another domain where language learners show prowess. Studies have found that the process of learning a language seems to unlock creative abilities in problem-solving and flexibility, as indicated by research like that of Kharkhurin (2009) in "".

So, whether you’re looking to boost your career, expand your horizons or just keep your brain sharp, learning a language is a really good idea.

Should I be using machine/AI translations at all then?

By all means, machine translations can be a helpful aid in certain contexts, such as quickly understanding the gist of a text or facilitating basic communication in a pinch. They are convenient when you need a fast translation and are dealing with simple, straightforward sentences. However, they should not be relied upon for deep understanding or nuanced communication.

Consider machine translation as a supplementary tool rather than a substitute for learning a language. It is when the intricate layers of language come into play—such as idioms, cultural references, and humor—that human touch becomes indispensable. So use machine translations with caution and awareness of their limitations, especially in situations where accuracy and cultural sensitivity are paramount.

Conclusion

Learning a language offers students numerous benefits over machine translation. It opens up new career opportunities, fosters deeper connections, enhances cognitive abilities and contributes to personal identity development. While machine translation tools have their place and can be very useful, they can’t replace the rich and nuanced understanding that comes with learning a language.

It’s a journey of discovery, a way to broaden your horizons and a key to unlocking the knowledge of cultures, history and experiences. And that’s something that no translation system or tool can ever provide.

Take the leap and pick up a new language with our language learning app Mondly by app or read our post 'Why should I learn English?'

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    What is Content and Language Integrated Learning?

    By Joanna Wiseman
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    Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) is an approach where students learn a subject and a second language at the same time. A science course, for example, can be taught to students in English and they will not only learn about science, but they will also gain relevant vocabulary and language skills.

    It’s important to note that CLIL is not a means of simplifying content or reteaching something students already know in a new language. CLIL courses should truly integrate the language and content in order to be successful – and success is determined when both the subject matter and language is learned.

    Who is CLIL for?

    CLIL can work for students of any age, all the way from primary level to university and beyond. So long as the course content and language aims are designed with the students’ needs in mind, there is no limit as to who can benefit from this teaching approach. However, it is most commonly found in primary and secondary school contexts.

    What are the main benefits of CLIL?

    Many teachers see CLIL as a more natural way to learn a language; when a subject is taught in that language there is a concrete reason to learn both at the same time. And as students have a real context to learn the language in, they are often more motivated to do so, as they can only get the most of the content if they understand the language around it.

    Moreover, being content focused, CLIL classes add an extra dimension to the class and engage students, which is especially advantageous in situations where students are unenthusiastic about learning a language.

    CLIL also promotes a deeper level of assimilation, as students are repeatedly exposed to similar language and language functions, and they need to produce and recall information in their second language.

    Furthermore, it has the advantage that multiple subjects can be taught in English, so that students’ exposure to the language is increased and their language acquisition is faster.

    CLIL also encourages students to develop 21st century skills, including the ability to think critically, be creative, communicate and collaborate.

    What are the challenges of CLIL?

    As CLIL is subject-focused, language teachers may also have to develop their own knowledge of new subjects in order to teach effectively.

    They must also structure classes carefully so that the students understand the content of the lesson, as well as the language through which the information is being conveyed.

    And when it comes to classroom management, educators need to be very aware of individual student understanding and progress.

    It’s therefore important to consistently concept check and scaffold the materials to be sure both the language and content are being learned.

    How can you apply CLIL to your class?

    It’s important to have a strategy in place when applying CLIL in your courses. One of the key things to remember is that the language and subject content are given equal weight and that it shouldn’t be treated as a language class nor a subject class simply taught in a foreign language.

    According to Coyle’s 4Cs curriculum (1999), a successful CLIL class should include the following four elements:

    • Content – Progression in knowledge, skills and understanding related to specific elements of a defined curriculum
    • Communication – Using language to learn whilst learning to use language
    • Cognition – Developing thinking skills which link concept formation (abstract and concrete), understanding and language
    • Culture – Exposure to alternative perspectives and shared understandings, which deepen awareness of otherness and self

    Using a number of frameworks can help you prepare your lessons and make sure activities are challenging yet achievable for your learners.

    Bloom’s Taxonomy, for example, classifies learning objectives in education and puts skills in a hierarchy, from Lower Order Thinking Skills (LOTS) to Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS).

    In the diagram below, you can see the levels increasing in complexity from the base up to the triangle’s peak.

  • A group of students hugging a teacher

    How to use praise to motivate your students

    By Joanna Wiseman
    Reading time: 3 minutes

    Praise in the classroom is a valuable resource that every teacher has in their toolbox.It can encourage struggling students and reward learners who have been studying diligently and working hard on their language skills.

    But not all types of praise have the same effect. Let’s take a look at different types of praise and how you can use it to boost your learners’ motivation andself-esteem.

    Different types of praise in the classroom

    There are three types of praise that teachers commonly engage in - but they’re not all equal and are not all desirable:

    • Personal praise: Here you praise a student for a specific ability or quality. For example, you might say something like,“You have a great memory for vocabulary”.
    • Effort-based praise: Thisis when you comment on a student’s efforts. For example, you could say,“I can see you tried really hard with this vocabulary homework – well done.”
    • Behavior-based praise:This type of praiseis where you comment on how a student is acting, an example would be,“You were really paying attention during the vocabulary lesson – good job.”

    So how – and when – should we use these types of praise in the classroom?

    Try not to praise ability

    The first type of praise – personal praise – should be avoided in the classroom.has shown that this type of praise doesn’t have a beneficial effect on motivation.

    In fact, praise for intelligence actually has a detrimental effect on student achievement. When students were praised for their intelligence, they tended to care more about their performance goals – the score they achieved on a test, for example. Learning goals, like mastering a new skill, became less important to them.

    Moreover, personal praise has been shown to undermine student resilience in the face of failure. Students showed less persistence when it came to challenging tasks and less enjoyment of the challenge. They also performed more poorly than children praised for effort.

    Furthermore, when you praise students for their ability, they also tend to see intelligence or aptitude as a fixed trait. However, students who are praised for effort are more likely to see ability as something they can improve on. This feeds into the development of a growth mindset vs a fixed mindset.It’s important toinstilla growth mindset in learners to enable them to reach their full potential.

    How to praise effort and behavior

    When it comes to praising effort and behavior, what’s the most effective way to do it? Here are some techniques to employ:

    1. Be specific

    General praise such as “Good job” isn’t nearly as effective as a comment that shows you’ve been paying attention to what the student is doing. A precise compliment will make a much bigger impact on a student, for example:“I was really impressed at how hard you concentrated during the listening exercise. Well done.”

    2. Give praise in the moment

    Immediate praise doesn’t need to be disruptive, but it shows students that you are paying attention and noticing good behavior and effort.

    3. Avoid comparisons with other students

    Instead of saying, “You got the best mark in the class – well done!” say something like,“You got a really high score in the reading test. Your hard work has really paid off this term.”

    4. Keep track of praise

    Before your class, choose three or four students you’re going to praise that day. That way, you can be sure that each and every student will benefit from the motivational power of effective classroom praise!

    5. Personalize your praise, depending on the student

    Young students enjoy being praised publicly, but shy students, older children and teenagers prefer positive feedback to be given quietly.

    Don’t overpraise and watch your positive bias

    It’s important to be sincere. Older children, especially adolescents, have an extremely low tolerance of insincerity. So, don’t be tempted to praise students too often, or too effusively – it can actually have a negative impact on your relationship with your whole class. Insincere praise can lead students to question your judgement.

    It’s also really important to be aware of your positive bias.that teachers consistently give students of color more positive feedback on their work. It’s done with good intentions, but it can actually be harmful. If you regularly overpraise students for minor achievements, it can imply that you have low expectations for these students. And, this can make your students feel like they might not be capable of fulfilling the high expectations that you should have of them.

    So, instead of overpraising, focus on giving specific, immediate praise to motivate your students, boost theirself-esteem and unlock their potential.

  • A class of students sat at desks in a classroom looking at their teacher stood at the front

    5 ways to reinspire your students after the summer holidays

    By Joanna Wiseman

    The new academic year is here and we're getting ready to head back to the English classroom. Yet, after a long and relaxing summer holiday, some students may feel unmotivated to return to the same class routine, especially if they have been learning English for several years. So, how can we reinspire students to keep learning and reconnect with English? By bringing in new resources, learning approaches and targets, we are sure you'll be able to rekindle their love of learning.

    So let's look at five ways to reinspire your English students in the coming academic year.

    1. Set new goals

    Students may lose interest in classes or feel discouraged when they don't have a clear target to work towards. If this is the case with your class, have them write up a list of five new goals they'd like to achieve.

    These goals must be SMART: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Timely. So rather than just saying "I'd like to learn more vocabulary", have students make it SMART.

    For example:

    Specific: "I'd like to learn new advanced vocabulary to use in my writing."

    Measurable: "I'll test myself to see if I can define and use 20 new words in sentences."

    Achievable: "I will dedicate 2 hours a week to studying the definitions and writing example sentences in context."

    Relevant: "This will help me get a good score in myas I struggle with formal academic language."

    Timely: "I will learn 20 new words by the end of September."

    If learners find it difficult to think of goals, ask them to write one for each language skill: listening, reading, writing and speaking. You can also refer to the GSE Teacher Toolkit, which has hundreds of learning objectives organized by age, level, skill type and more.

    The idea is to encourage them to set clear objectives, giving them an exciting new challenge to work towards for the year ahead.

    2. Encourage students to find conversation partners

    Students may lose interest in improving their English if they've only been studying in a classroom. They may see it as something boring and unrelated to their real lives.

    A great way to tackle this is by encouraging them to talk with English speakers outside of class. By doing this, they'll pick up new vocabulary and expressions, giving them more confidencein their language abilities.

    Suggest that they attend a language exchange.andaregreat platforms to find regular language exchange events in their local area. While this is suitable for intermediate learners and above, it may be a bit daunting for beginners.

    In this case, the appmay be a suitable alternative. Similar to a language exchange, learners can connect with people from around the world. They can choose people with a similar level as them and either write messages, send short audios, or do video calls, depending on their ability and confidence.

    Communicating with real people is a fun and encouraging reason for your learners to want to improve.

    3. Introduce interesting new vocabulary

    Students may become disheartened if they've been learning for years but aren't seeing much progress. A simple and effective way to help them improve their level is by encouraging them toexpand their vocabulary.

    They already have to study a lot of vocabulary from their textbooks, so why not give it a more personal twist and ask for suggestions of topics that interest them?

    Maybe they are gamers and want to learn how to communicate better with other players around the world. Select vocabulary about styles of games, turn-taking, and strategizing that they could use – they can practice in class and be thrilled to be given homework.

    Perhaps some of your students want to study or work abroad. This may be a common topic, but one thing that is not frequently discussed is how to deal with the paperwork of living in another country. For example, getting into more specific language about banking, housing rentals, or setting up wifi will help them feel more confident about their move. Though these things differ between countries, there is a lot of overlapping vocabulary and roleplaying will do wonders to reassure and excite them about their upcoming adventures.

    By allowing your students to take control of their learning, their motivation is naturally higher and you too will enjoy finding out specific language about their interests.

    4. Work on specific problem areas

    Language learners may become frustrated and lose motivation if they continue to make the same mistakes. It may cause them to feel disheartened in their abilities and want to give up, especially for those who aim to sit exams. You can help them level up by identifying specific problem areas and tailoring your classes to work on these.

    Tests can help your learners discover their weaknesses and avoid the frustration of sitting and not passing an exam. They'll be able to pinpoint what they need to work on, and you can dedicate your classes to exactly what they need, rather than cover areas they may not have problems with.

    For example, if students are experiencing difficulties with reading comprehension, you could try introducing more varied reading materials. Ask them to bring in blog posts, magazines and news articles on topics that they find interesting. Highlight keywords in the text to enhance their understanding of the piece and create comprehension questions similar to the test format they'll take.

    By giving a little extra attention to fixing problem areas, learners will soon start to see their progress, encouraging and inspiring them to keep going.

    5. Change your class format

    Sometimes learners become demotivated simply because they have become too used to the format of the classes. If this is the case, you might want to take a break from the textbook and try more creative language learning methods. For example:

    Use interactive games

    Suitable for all levels, you can use platforms such asor to test your learners. They offer a new dimension to the class, encouraging students to have fun with the language. Divide them into teams to add an element of competition – there's nothing like a friendly game to excite students!

    Set project work

    Put your class into small groups and have them work on a project to present to the rest of the group. Choose topics they might cover in their textbooks, such as occupations, travel or cultural traditions. Or even better – let students come up with their own! This activity can be modified to suit all levels and offers a challenge as learners will need to push their language limits.

    Hold class debates

    More suitable for intermediate learners and above, class debates get everyone talking. You can ask students to brainstorm topics they're interested in. You can offer prompts such as climate change, the advertising of junk food or the impacts of social media. They'll be happy to talk about things that concern them.

    Throw in some unexpected activities to bring students' attention back to class and spark their interest in learning again.