Learning with Google Images
Posted on 15. Nov, 2007 @ 11:51 pm by harvey in Language
Google image search makes a great language learning tool!
For example at work I came across the Katakana word スパナ (su-pa-na).
Spanner? Usually Katakana words have roots in English, but what’s a spanner?
So when checking a dictionary I get…
スパナ (n) spanner; wrench;
Ahhh… So maybe it’s a what I think of as a “wrench”.
To double check, I can put スパナ into Google images… And most of the results look like this, Google Images search for スパナ.
NARUHODO. the world.
My kingdom for a wrench!
Does anyone else have ways they use Google or other sites to help with language learning?
- Harvey
14 Responses to “Learning with Google Images”
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Adam
Nov 16th, 2007
at 00:22
Spanner is how the British say wrench. Like torch for flashlight and rubber for eraser. Teehee.
Sean
Nov 16th, 2007
at 05:05
I usually look up unknown words in J-J dictionaries. If I’m having trouble understanding the definition, I’ll use google/googleimages to try to figure it out without resorting to J-E. It’s good for seeing how words are actually used in real life. It’s also great for words you can’t find in most dictionaries. 20 seconds of googling and I figured out the meaning (by reading how it’s used) and reading of 激白 (げきはく), a word that most kokugo dics don’t have yet.
Sean
Nov 16th, 2007
at 05:07
oops. forgot to terminate the italic. Just meant for “actually” to be italicised. No edits?
shari
Nov 16th, 2007
at 06:02
I’ve been using this for English words I’m not familiar with, mostly food names XD
James
Nov 16th, 2007
at 14:28
I fing it very useful for 擬態語 and 擬音語.
Joe
Nov 16th, 2007
at 15:02
I let it decide things for me when I’m not sure of grammar.
私は分からない returns 24,300 results.
私がわからない returns 9,450 results.
OK, majority rules, が it is!
Joe
Nov 16th, 2007
at 15:04
Oops. That should be:
私が分からない returns 9,450 results.
私がわからない returns 18,000 results, so I guess more people use hiragana for the word than kanji in this case?
Get a Job, Son!
Nov 16th, 2007
at 23:38
Oh yes… SPANNER / WRENCH
Another reminder that the US and UK are “divided by a common language”
harvey
Nov 17th, 2007
at 00:07
I went to Yakushima with a couple of Brits last month, and got quite the education as we climbed mountains in the wilderness.
Bugger me! Seriously though, British English is the dog’s bollocks innit.
Do you fancy studying some cockney rhymes?
Godzilla
Nov 18th, 2007
at 19:55
Nothing to do with Google, but I’m watching figure skating right now, and I found it hilarious hearing the Japanese announcer talking about a “flying sit spin”
Tori
Nov 19th, 2007
at 14:53
great “nihon hack”
never thought of using Google images for that
Clay
Nov 22nd, 2007
at 21:25
Great tip. I hadn’t thought of doing that, but it’s faster than pulling out my dictionary :)
Nick Ramsay
Nov 24th, 2007
at 02:02
I’m absolutely blown away you didn’t know what a spanner (3,490,000 results) was! And how bizarre that you should learn that it’s a wrench (12,800,000 results) through Japanese! I suppose I’ve learned lots of Americanisms through Japanese, so I can’t criticise (3,770,000 results) or criticize (12,200,000 results) you.
Good tips on learning Japanese here. I keep promising myself I’ll pick it up again…
harvey
Nov 25th, 2007
at 11:53
Hey Nick! Yes British English is as foreign to me as Japanese sometimes. Recently went hiking with some British friends and my brain hiccuped a bit when they reminded me to bring a “torch”. Ahhh, flashlight. Heh.