1. The ABC of Google for language learning

What do you do if you find something interesting in a newspaper and want to learn more about it? Or if you see a film and would like to know more about the story behind it? What is the main tool you use when searching information for a presentation? The answer is probably Google, or any other Internet search engine. But did you know about the possibilities of using Google for language learning? Read on, and you'll learn more!

The Google ABC. For improving your English - and virtually any other language skills - Google can be used for three basic purposes. For A, it works well as an online dictionary, offering not only knowledge on the search word but also other words and issues linked to it. For B, it provides a quick way of checking your grammar and phrase structures. Finally, for C, it can help you in finding suitable word combinations and idiomatic expressions.

A. Google is often closer at hand than a dictionary

At its simplest, Google works well as a dictionary search tool. If you run into an unfamiliar word or expression, just type it in the search box and click Search.

Try it yourself!
Go to the Google search page by clicking the sign hanging under Edna and find out what type of information can be found on the following words:

• collocation


• idiom (notice the Wikipedia article!)


• corpus

B. Checking your grammar with Google

The frequency of phrasal verbs in the English language is a good example of how important it can be to choose the right word combinations for appropriate meaning and correct grammar. Choosing a wrong preposition to accompany a verb may result in an error in meaning, for example if you think of carry on and carry out, or get on, get out and get into. But the verb+preposition combination may also be a source of grammatical errors, when an inappropriate preposition is selected. To speak and write English that is grammatically correct, you have to know these combinations by heart - or, you have to have the tools available for checking them!

Google can easily be used for checking your grammar issues. Sometime it's enough just to run a search with single words as you did just above. However, often a search with an entire phrase can produce more useful results.

Try it yourself!
Let's take the verb depend as an example. You may be uncertain of which preposition should be used: should you say depend on or depend of? A Google search with depend results in a long list of irrelevant information, not to mention all kind of products named Depend. Instead, you have to find a way of verifying the use in a more precise manner. Let's try out a search that will quickly provide us with the information we need. Follow the instructions below.

• Go to the Google search page through the link under Edna, and type in the search box "depend on" - be sure to use the citation marks. Hit the search button, and you will get a list of search results as usual. Don't pay attention to them this time, as we are more interested in the number of search results that you can see in the upper right corner. In Google.fi or Google.com they look like this:
  


• Type the obtained number of search results for "depend on" in the text field on the left hand side below.


• Perform a similar search with the string "depend of", remember the citation marks. Note the number of hits in the corresponding text field.

Having noted the two figures in their places, consider the following questions. When ready, click Bernie the Owl for feedback.

• What do the search results tell about the use of depend on and depend of ?


• Based on the search, which expression would you use?


• Can you tell if one of the uses is incorrect?

Good to know.
The use of Google as a grammar tool is by no means limited to checking your prepositions. You can often use Google for checking the correct article, for example when wondering if a word is used as a mass noun. Google can also be of help if you want to know whether to use a singular or plural word form of a verb with words such as anyone, everybody, staff and data. With the help of the citation marks you can also verify the frequency, usage and correctness of language strings in your own pieces of writing.

C. Finding idiomatic expressions and collocations is as simple as..

Typical of the English language is that it makes use of idioms and the role of finding the right collocations is essential for understanding and producing the language. As a learner of English you may often find yourself in a situation where you hesitate to use a phrasal verb or a fixed expression, often beacause there's uncertainty over the correct form or appropriate usage. Google can offer a quick fix in cases like this.

Try it yourself!
Below, you are presented with some basic expressions in English. Complete the expressions with the help of Google and click Bernie the Owl below right for feedback. If you feel puzzled, take a look at the search tip below.

• I would like to thank you behalf of my company .


• It's as easy as or or .


• I would be for any information.

Search tip!
Google enables you to search for exact word combinations and whole phrases. By using the citation marks around the search string you can find exact matches for your search phrase: "it's as easy as". You can also use a wildcard (*) in the search string to leave open a slot for one or more words: "would be * for information".

Now that you are familiar with the basic ideas of using Google as a tool for language learning, move on to the next section for Advanced Google.