Learn Hardcore Russian: Вообще, я считаю, что переводы слов помогают понять их значение. - Overall, I think that translations of words help to understand their meaning.

Вообще functions as a sentence adverb meaning in general or actually. It introduces a broad opinion. As an introductory word, it is separated by a comma.

Why are there commas around я считаю?

The phrase я считаю is parenthetical (like I think or I believe) and sets off your personal stance. Commas before and after mark this comment as an aside.

What role does что play, and can it be omitted?

Что is a subordinating conjunction meaning that, connecting я считаю with the clause переводы слов помогают понять их значение. In casual speech you might drop что, but including it makes the sentence clearer and more formal.

Why is переводы слов in the nominative case, and why does слов take the genitive?

Переводы is the subject of the clause, so it is in the nominative plural.
Слов is in the genitive plural because it indicates translations of words (the “of” relationship).

Why is the verb помогают plural?

The verb must agree with its subject in number. Since переводы is plural, you use помогают (3rd person plural form of помогать).

Why is понять an infinitive without a preposition?

After помогают, you directly use an infinitive to express help to do something. No preposition is needed before понять.

Why is понять perfective, not the imperfective понимать?

Perfective понять emphasizes the completion of understanding (“to fully grasp”). Imperfective понимать would focus on the ongoing or habitual process of understanding, which doesn’t fit as naturally here.

Why does их значение look the same in nominative and accusative?

Их is the possessive pronoun their, referring back to слов.
Значение is a neuter noun whose nominative and accusative forms are identical. In this sentence it functions as the direct object of понять, hence accusative, but it looks the same as the nominative.

Why is значение singular, and could you use значения instead?

Singular значение refers to the general concept of meaning. Using plural значения would highlight individual meanings of each word. Both are grammatically correct, but singular is more common for a general statement.

Why aren’t there articles like the or a before переводы слов or их значение?

Russian does not have articles. Definiteness and indefiniteness are conveyed by context rather than by words equivalent to the or a.