Google Translate allows you to dictate in several languages and it then translates your speech into text. So - if you dare to dictate in your target language you can see how well you are understood (by a machine algorithm) . And of course you also get a translation. You can also tune the accent, for example, in the case of Spanish by choosing Mexican, Colombian and others. This can be quite useful when reading in your target language - just say a phrase or single word, get a quick translation and continue reading.
It can also be quite humbling. When I started doing this (reading a translated best seller - La Chica del Tren) I was pleased that Google Translate was catching most of my dictated words. Then a few errors occurred. I spoke more clearly. The results got worse. In response, I often was forced to type the words instead of dictating. My native speaker partner dictated and (of course) got good results. After a while I realized there was a big difference. I was e-n-u-n-c-i-a-t-i-n-g carefully in an English BBC manner. And the more I enunciated the worse the comprehension. Partner âSpanish doesnât have explosive sounds - âtâ sounds like a âdâ and the âdâ almost disappears. b, p,v donât explode. You have to soften the consonantsâ.
So now I am learning to mumbledemumble to be better understood.
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