One common problem language teachers encounter is that students use online translators. This is especially true when students are working on projects because they often research in English and then translate into the target language. This method usually does not produce very good results because the student's language skills in their native language are way more advanced than their second language. My school has a policy that students will receive a zero if they use a translator for an assignment. The only resource that we give to our students is an online dictionary called wordreference (www.wordreference.com). But I just found a new resource called lingro (http://lingro.com).
Lingro is a free website that works similar to an online dictionary, but it is way better. It turns any website into an interactive webpage and if you come across a word that you don't know the meaning of, you just have to click on it. It is available in 11 languages, including English, Spanish and French. This is such a great resource because students won't have to take time to go to an online dictionary or use a paper one, they can simply click on the word and in a second you have the meaning of the word.
This website is very easy to use. First, on the main page of Lingro, you type in the address of a website that you want to use the program with. Then you hit enter and it takes you to that webpage, but it is now an interactive webpage. You can click on any word and it will give you multiple definitions of the word as well as audio that allows you to hear the word.
One of the great features of Lingro is that it keeps track of the words you clicked on and creates a wordlist for you to review later. It also records the sentences the words appeared in. In addition, you can review the words with some basic online games/flashcards.
One of the downsides is that the students have to know how to use a dictionary. So it is extremely important to teach students how to use one correctly, otherwise this website won't be very beneficial to students.
I think my students will like how quick and easy this program is to use. It will also be useful for me too when I am reading the French newspaper online. I hope that this resource will cut down on the number of students using online translators.
