To use the translator or the dictionary: that is the question!

When you learn a new language, one of the problems to face is to understand the original meaning of the words.
In early times, when you're still a freshman, you take your translator and find out the meaning of the desired word, but I think it's a solution only for the meanwhile, because as well as the translator are, they can't make in our native language the original meaning of the word and sometimes they can't provide any valid translation.
To sort "this problem" out I have been adopting an easy and efficient solution.
First I look up in the dictionary and if the meaning isn't quite clear, I take a look at the translator too.
The point is you have to learn the meaning of the word and do not translate them.
what do you think about?


Surfing on Internet I found two useful tools: MSN DICTIONARY and WORD REFERENCE.
MSN Dictionary is an online dictionary with a good word search engine, which helps you when you spell the word badly, in addition it also provides the pronunciation of the searched word.

WORD REFERENCE has more features than MSN, indeed it can work as translator for different languages (e.g from Italian to English, French to English and so on), like MSN Dictionary it gives you the pronunciation but it has an unique characteristic: you can suggest an own your definition, which will be discussed in a properly forum.