Language-Learning Dictionary You Should Try Out: Reverso Context

Hello, everyone, and welcome back to my blog! I wanted to start off by apologizing for not having posted for a while. As many of you already know, I am currently abroad and have not had the opportunity to blog as much as I originally wanted to do, however, am hoping to post more consistently for the remainder of the semester from now on. For the first post of the academic semester, I thought that I would post about an application that I found out about a few months ago through a YouTuber polyglot, Lina Vasquez, called Reverso Context. 

In Lina's video (watch it down below), I remember her talking about a few other language-learning apps that she has recently been loving, but she particularly liked this one, as it is better than simply using Google Translate, or another online dictionary. I started using it, because I also find it very practical and easy to use. Instead of just typing in a word and the search engine coming up with 15 different results, you not knowing how to use the word, or you not knowing which definition is the correct one as a non-native speaker, this app helps you narrow down your results. What I like about the free phone version is that you can translate words from English into 12 other languages. The majority of the languages that you and I are learning are on there, but I hope that they continue adding more in the future.

You can change the language that you are translating from and translating into at any given moment in time. I use it for over 3 languages on a daily-basis, so I do not have to worry about only being able to use it for a language at a time. All you have to do is type in a word, a phrase, or a full sentence that you would like to translate into your target language and if whatever you type in is available in the database of the website, then it will automatically come up with a whole bunch of sample sentences and will bold the word(s) that you typed in for a quick reference. In this way, you can easily know for what you are looking in your target language. As far as I know, these sentences are written by and written for native speakers, so they are not literal translations when they should not be. It is also great for learning new idiomatic expressions and more complicated constructions that you may not know or unsure about.

I have been consistently using this app since this past June when I was studying abroad in France and it has been a lifesaver ever since. So far, I have mainly been using it for my essays when I do not have access to native speakers who can help me edit them, but have also found it helpful when I am trying to immerse myself in another language. Since I like writing emotively, I find it very difficult to fully convey my thoughts in another language without having a reliable resource such as this one. Whenever I have been in doubt, it has helped me create more native-sounding structures and sentences. I personally love scrolling through all of the sample sentences and seeing whether or not they convey the same context of which I am thinking. After all, that is why it is called Reverso Context!

Since it puts words and thoughts into perspective, it is more visual than most other dictionaries you will find, as you are not just seeing a word without knowing how to use it. Instead, you get to see how words function in a sentence and learn their various meanings, which makes learning a new language more fun! As someone who has to write and talk in over 4 languages on a daily basis, it can get confusing and frustrating to remember all of the words that I would like to use in all of them, but this app has worked miracles to help fix that problem. 

Aside from these reasons and more, I recommend using it for learners who want to use it for more than just one language at once to avoid having dozens of applications for each individual language on your phone. I believe that there is also a premium version of this app, but do not currently own it since I have been satisfied with its free version (feel free to check out the premium version if you are looking for even more language-learning resources). This app is also a great tool for college students who are taking language courses who need to write more elaborately than usual. All in all, if you are on the lookout for a new resource that gives you meaning and context behind what you want to look up, you may want to give this app a try!