Google Translate and idiomatic language

http://www.visual-idioms.com/

Google Translate can be really helpful if you know what to use it for. However, based on my teaching experience, it can also be dangerous. The truth is that students love using Google Translate. They copy and paste long passages of text and within a matter of seconds, they get what they want. Or they think they've got what they wanted. Show them how unreliable this tool can be, especially with idiomatic language. Ask each student to type in an idiom they are familiar with. When the translation pops up, you'll immediately hear a burst of laughter. Ask them to type in a complete sentence, for example: No matter how you slice it, the truth is that school violence is totally unacceptable. Eighty per cent of the sentence will be all right but the part you slice it is hilarious (at least in Czech). However, if you type in I was on cloud nine when I heard the news, the translation is perfect. This is a way of teaching your students a lesson on how unpredictable and tricky language can be for an EFL learner, especially at the early stages of learning. So, encourage your students to put their thinking caps on when using Google Translate.