Google
English-Test.net
Find penpals and make new friends today!
 
device made up of interconnected parts that work together to perform a given task or function
accelerator
time
machine
character
TOEIC practice test: Online word games: Free Nouns Game Answer
 
Username
Password
 Remember me? 
Search   FAQ   Memberlist   Profile   Private messages   Register   Log in 

Why does everyone quote Google?



 
ESL/EFL Worksheets and Handouts for Students Printable, photocopiable, clearly structured
Designed for teachers and individual learners
For use in a classroom, at home, on your PC
ESL Forum | What do you want to talk about?
Boarders between supposed language rules and personal style? | ESL test overview
Message Author
Why does everyone quote Google? Tue Aug 29, 2006 10:57 am  Why does everyone quote Google?
 

Hi,

Why does everyone quote Google? It's a search engine, isn't it? It's not a dictionary. Why, you can put any old thing on the Internet and Google will spew it out but that doesn't make it authentic, does it?

Alan
_________________
English as a Second Language
You can read my ESL story Phrasal Verbs/bring
Alan
Co-founder
Alan Townend

Joined: 27 Sep 2003
Posts: 7730
Location: UK

Google Tue Aug 29, 2006 11:18 am  Google
 

Alan, you're right about doubtful 'representativeness' of Google's output.

But.
In the case when you (not you, but I, we, ...) have nothing at all to judge about use of the word (situation that is quite usual for foreigners learning other language), it is often better-than-nothing.

It only (and mainly) depends on the interpretation - how to take Google statistics to make a conclusion / decision...
_________________
It’s impossible to learn swimming without entering the water…
Tamara
I'm a Communicator ;-)


Joined: 25 May 2006
Posts: 1577
Location: UK

Are you a native speaker of English? Then you should read this!Can you find all the prepositions in this story?Here is how you can learn English the fun way! Click to subscribe to free email English courseEnglish grammar exercises — improve your English knowledge and vocabulary skills
Why does everyone quote Google? Tue Aug 29, 2006 11:54 am  Why does everyone quote Google?
 

Hi

I think googling words and expressions can be a valuable way to get a quick sense of usage (how used, how often used, and even where used, etc.)

However, for this sort of search to have any value at all, you can't simply look at the number of results Google spits out. You need to look at the results and try to judge how meaningful they really are. And, of course, you have to learn how to search "properly". If you give Google insufficient input or haven't yet learned how best to define your search, then the results can be extremely misleading.

I think Google can be an excellent tool. But Google is not God. Wink

Amy
Yankee
I'm a Communicator ;-)


Joined: 16 Apr 2006
Posts: 8265
Location: USA

Why does everyone quote Google? Tue Aug 29, 2006 15:04 pm  Why does everyone quote Google?
 

Google is the closest thing most people have to a language corpus, so Google and other search engines are the only way the average person can judge how common or uncommon some usage is. If Cambridge, Oxford, Longman or some of the American universities gave the public access to their own corpuses free, then we wouldn't need to use Google. There is one site run by the University of Liverpool that uses various sorts of publications on the Internet (US and UK newspapers, for example), but it's very slow and seems to limit people to one search a day.

As Amy says, one has to examine Google results for them to be of any value. I frequently find 100,000 examples of some strange word or expression, but when I look at the sites, I see that they are all in the Czech Republic, Slovakia or Bulgaria, and not in an English-speaking country.
Jamie (K)
I'm a Communicator ;-)


Joined: 24 Feb 2006
Posts: 4714
Location: Detroit, Michigan, USA

Bnc Tue Aug 29, 2006 15:12 pm  Bnc
 

Well, and I hesitate to be partisan but there is always bnc
http://www.natcorp.ox.ac.uk/

Alan
_________________
English as a Foreign Language
You can read my EFL story A day in the life of a flat hunter
Alan
Co-founder
Alan Townend

Joined: 27 Sep 2003
Posts: 7730
Location: UK

Bnc Tue Aug 29, 2006 15:23 pm  Bnc
 

Alan wrote:
Well, and I hesitate to be partisan but there is always bnc

http://www.natcorp.ox.ac.uk/

Thanks, Alan. That's useful. Now if we can only get one for world English and the English of various other countries.
Jamie (K)
I'm a Communicator ;-)


Joined: 24 Feb 2006
Posts: 4714
Location: Detroit, Michigan, USA

NCB vs. NBC Tue Aug 29, 2006 17:37 pm  NCB vs. NBC
 

Hi Alan,

Many thanks for posting this BNC link, I didn't even know it exists until you mentioned it. BNC (an abbreviation which can easily be confused with NBC) is a brilliant tool.
Interestingly enough, when I run the phrase "you have done your part" through BNC, I get only one result. If I google the same phrase, I get more than 23,000 pages most of which are written by native English speakers....

Also, if I run the phrase "good to know" through BNC the query takes quite some time, while Google shows me a result within less than a second.
_________________
Test Of English for International Communication
TOEIC Preparation & TOEIC Vocabulary
Torsten
Learning Coach
Torsten Daerr

Joined: 25 Sep 2003
Posts: 8250
Location: EU

Google Wed Aug 30, 2006 9:18 am  Google
 

Hi Torsten,

I make no great claims for bnc or any other type of corpus for that matter. The point I was trying to make was it might be a good idea to break away for a bit from Googlemania and take a look at other sources. Apart from bnc I am sure there are plenty of others and I am also sure ironcally that Google will be able to show them!

From a language point of view if you are in search of language to use that comic expression as she is spoke or as Mister Micawber would be proud to hear me say, authentic English, it's not a bad idea to have a look at:

http://www.wrx.zen.co.uk/britnews.htm

All right it's British media but at the very bottom there is a link called Worldwide Search, which should satisfy the most wordhungry searchers. And of course you can find the daily newspapers in the USA available online. And there is also a link on the page to World Press.

Just some thoughts

Alan
_________________
English as a Second Language
You can read my ESL story Adverbs
Alan
Co-founder
Alan Townend

Joined: 27 Sep 2003
Posts: 7730
Location: UK

Display posts from previous:   
Boarders between supposed language rules and personal style? | ESL test overview
ESL Forum | What do you want to talk about? Why does everyone quote Google? All times are GMT + 1 Hour
Page 1 of 1
Latest topics on English Forums
My country celebrate august 20 by huge fireworks above river Duna...How fast is your internet connection?Women and the English languageHave you been chipped today?Why not Teach in Tropical Country, Indonesia?Useful links, Everyone's invitedWhen and where should we dicuss politics?School student exchange programs?EXCEL programSmoking some weed is a felonyLimopas in Europe!How much of your audio consumption is in English?How to speed up the reading while keeping the comprehension?What do you think about hierarchy?Notetaking exercisesInterview (Stephen Colbert and Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes)Is there a roadmap to learning English?Which is the largest country?Why does everyone quote Google?

Discover English-test.net
The job of best man is at all arduousIs "the Rocky Mountains" singular or plural?Expression: the only time in my life I got so I dreamed about thingsHello, I am come from ThailandSAT preparation test: Activities for Teaching Vocabulary: Noun Adjective Verb ListsSAT exam test: Word games online: Free Noun Adjective Verb GameDefine declension, flexible, tractable, vivisection, confluent, depreciation, chateauEnglish Learning Audio Tapes: Pimsleur DownloadEnglish listening practice: All AgogEnglish grammar quiz: English Slang Idioms (215)Stanley Easter audiobook download

 
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum
Subscribe to FREE email English course
First name E-mail