If you use Google Chrome, there’s a nifty little add-on you might want to check out, called Language Immersion for Chrome. It’s built using Google’s automatic translation services, so you can select from 64 different languages. It also allows you to select a level of fluency (from beginner to fluent). The add-on takes whatever web site you’re looking at and randomly replaces words with your foreign language equivalent. Clicking on them changes them to English, and hovering over them will give you a pronunciation.
It’s certainly not something that is going to replace serious study and reading target language material, but every little bit helps, and it’s a neat way to sprinkle some language exposure into your daily web routine.
That certainly does look like a handy plugin – will have to take it out for a spin. I wrote an article on my blog a while ago about online language immersion but missed that one!
Tried and tested, looks really nice. It does slow down browsing though, but one can live with that.
question: how do you access “rollover” sounds?
from the description “- Roll-over a translated word to hear it pronounced.” I hate reading L2 words before I know how they sound, since naturally I imagine my L1 sounds.
So, I’d love to “roll over” the translations and hear the pronunciation; I try and try, but no sound. Yes I’ve googled “roll-over” in all permutations, but nothing.. any clues? thanks
Duke: Click on the Language Immersion button on the top bar of Chrome (where you select what language, fluency level, etc. that you want). Then click the wrench (settings button), and checkmark “speak translations.” Then when you hover your mouse over one of the translated words, it will pronounce it automatically.