Mostly I use it [...]]]> Google Translate is a free Google service that translates between dozens of languages. It is quick and occasionally excellent. I use it sometimes like a dictionary – type in a word choose your source and target language and up comes the translation just like a real dictionary.

Mostly I use it to check that what I have written in French or Spanish is understandable by translating it to English. I do this routinely with email replies. Recently a French friend sent me a video clip showing celebrities with and without make up. In my reply I wanted to say that my wife never goes out without her lipstick. The mistake I made was to assume the Spanish verb to go out, "salir" was the same in French. Luckily, the translator reminded me that the French verb to go out, is "sortir". In French salir means "to dirty".

A good combination is to use Google translate to check your meaning and Word spellcheck for the grammar and punctuation.