Maximize transfer credits or just jump in? (UMPI)

[ss20ts]

I'm still a little confused why the language courses or the instructor would only want you to "use" the wording within the course.  I mean, wouldn't it mean you're learning "more" and actually picking up the language by using words that are not within the course or text?  Interesting though, I would have thought they would encourage people to "think outside the box" and build their vocabulary any way they can....

I can’t speak to the UMPI French class… but I can say that my son took French 1 this year (8th grade) and tried to use some sort of online translator instead of actually learning the French.  His teacher called him out on it.  And it totally makes sense to me.  If you learn a certain word and use a synonym instead, then you might not be learning French, just how to google, copy, and paste.

This is exactly what the Spanish/French professor at UMPI does. She can tell when you're using a translator versus using the course material. She definitely calls students out on it too. She speaks 4 languages and English isn't her first language. She's been doing this for many years and has seen everything.