Whats the big ol deal with using translators?
Ah, there is so much wrong with that question. I think thatpeople actually think that translators are like using dictionaries or asking a Hispanic pal for one word – they help learning. But they’re like asking your Hispanic friend to write the whole comp for you: Basically, why would you be in a Spanish class (which is NOT required, remember) if all you want to do is use a machine to produce the language, not yourself? You are NOT LEARNING ANYTHING, not progressing. Imagine this: you want to learn to, hmmm….play the bassoon. So you get a friend to do it, and you’re sitting there listening to his oomps and his pahs, and you say, wow, I am SOOO good at this! Well, that’s what it is…like wanting to learn to play guitar or basketball or ride a bike, and then getting someone else to do it for you. YOU are not producing anything, the machine is. It is not your work; it defeats the purpose; it is cheating, also. Now, if that philosophically, ethically tuned answer isn’t practical enough f
Ah, there is so much wrong with that question. I think thatpeople actually think that translators are like using dictionaries or asking a Hispanic pal for one word – they help learning. But they’re like asking your Hispanic friend to write the whole comp for you: Basically, why would you be in a Spanish class (which is NOT required, remember) if all you want to do is use a machine to produce the language, not yourself? You are NOT LEARNING ANYTHING, not progressing. Imagine this: you want to learn to, hmmm….play the bassoon. So you get a friend to do it, and you’re sitting there listening to his oomps and his pahs, and you say, wow, I am SOOO good at this! Well, that’s what it is…like wanting to learn to play guitar or basketball or ride a bike, and then getting someone else to do it for you. YOU are not producing anything, the machine is. It is not your work; it defeats the purpose; it is cheating, also. Now, if that philosophically, ethically tuned answer isn’t practical enough f
