Introducing the Toucan browser extension. Toucan’s approach is based on science.
Learning a new language is not easy. The learning methods are often the same, namely succeeding in memorizing new words, new sentences or new grammatical structures. Toucan, however, is a browser extension that tries a different approach and could make things much easier for you. Explanation.
Introducing the Toucan browser extension
Once Toucan installed on Chromium, edge Or Safarithe first time you visit a site or click on an article, you will notice something quite strange: some words on the page will change, translated into the language of your choice (the one you want to learn).
Simply hover your mouse cursor over the translated word and a small window will reveal its translation in your language. This window also gives some interesting options, such as a function to hear the word spoken, a mini quiz to see if you can spell the word and a Save button to save the word for later.
You start with one word at a time, but as you progress Toucan speeds up, adding more words to its blocks. And that makes perfect sense, as not all languages share the same grammatical structures. By shaping larger groups of words, you will more naturally learn word order, verb conjugation, and general grammar of the language you want to learn.
The extension also offers “shortcuts”, which work much like a more traditional language learning experience. They highlight important words and phrases that you might use in ordinary situations, such as saying hello or going out to eat. Shortcuts only work on Twitter, Reddit, YouTube, and Google, however.
Toucan’s approach is based on science
According to the company, the operation of the extension is based on Stephen Krashen’s so-called second language acquisition theory which, in this context, can be summarized as follows: you learn said language best when you are immersed in the language in a relaxed way, rather than trying to force new words and grammatical concepts into your head. If you’ve always had difficulty learning a new language, Toucan’s approach may work for you.
Of course, Toucan doesn’t take Duolingo’s approach either, inundating you with reminders to get to work. The goal is to make as little effort as possible to learn this new language. When you normally use the internet, you visit sites and read articles that really interest you. If Toucan translates some of the words on these pages into the language you want to learn, you’ll be more likely to remember them since you’re already engaged with the text, rather than reading content. quite banal and/or abstract lesson. You do what you normally do, while gradually immersing yourself in a new language.