Similar enough, certainly. More similar to my second language. (I know French, I'm learning Spanish.)
It definitely lowers the barrier, but don't think there's no barrier just because it's a "similar" language. I'm claiming that automatic translation has accelerated my learning, not that learning it would be impossible otherwise.
Nonetheless it is quite difficult to live somewhere where you don't speak the language, no matter what tools you have available. Mostly it doesn't matter, but when you find yourself arguing with administrators... or the police...
(I almost got into a bike accident the other day. I wasn't even all that worried about my health, I was mostly scared of having to talk to people, hospital/police/insurance..! or argue with the guy who hit me...)
It definitely lowers the barrier, but don't think there's no barrier just because it's a "similar" language. I'm claiming that automatic translation has accelerated my learning, not that learning it would be impossible otherwise.
Nonetheless it is quite difficult to live somewhere where you don't speak the language, no matter what tools you have available. Mostly it doesn't matter, but when you find yourself arguing with administrators... or the police...
(I almost got into a bike accident the other day. I wasn't even all that worried about my health, I was mostly scared of having to talk to people, hospital/police/insurance..! or argue with the guy who hit me...)