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Translating as a practice method | ||
Tags: Translation | Learning Technique/Method | ||
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 Language Learning Forum : Learning Techniques, Methods & Strategies |  | |
| Jjangpie Newbie United States Joined 5489 days ago 3 posts - 3 votes Studies: Korean | Message 1 of 19 17 August 2010 at 2:07am | IP Logged | |||||
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Yes, there is another thread on this but it didn't answer my question exactly.
It kept talking about translating L1 into L2 only, but I'm talking about translating L2 into my native L1, or does it not matter? So is this a good idea? I mean I'm probably going to do it regardless, but I was just wondering if anyone else does this, and if they have any cool results from it. Other practice methods just encourage me to yawn and click the [x] in the corner or walk away and eat cookies and milk instead, but this seems fun to me. It seems like a method that could be quite useful in pushing me to remember/understand more vocabulary and grammar. Besides that grammar and vocab always stick better with me after I keep writing, using, and seeing it. As most people. So tell me...Translating L2 ---> L1/L1 ----> L2 or No. And if yes share your results, if no why not!? Edited by Jjangpie on 17 August 2010 at 2:08am 1 person has voted this message useful | ||||||
| feanarosurion Senior Member Canada Joined 5273 days ago 217 posts - 316 votes  Speaks: English* Studies: Finnish, Norwegian | Message 2 of 19 17 August 2010 at 7:22am | IP Logged | |||||
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Translating as a language study tool needs to be used in a relatively specific way to be of any real use. First of all, translating L1-L2 is only something that can be done at relatively advanced levels, and will probably need to be corrected by a native speaker anyway. In terms of a study tool, it's practically useless. However, translating L2-L1 can certainly be useful for study purposes. As a general rule though, the translation needs to be as literal as possible, as in hyper-literal. This can help to figure out different structures by seeing them repeated exactly the same way in your native language, and also keeps the brain focused on the target language. If the translation is reworked or reworded to make grammatical sense in L1, it doesn't really help very much in L2.
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| Arekkusu Hexaglot Senior Member Canada bit.ly/qc_10_lec Joined 5373 days ago 3971 posts - 7747 votes Speaks: English, French*, GermanC1, Spanish, Japanese, Esperanto Studies: Italian, Norwegian, Mandarin, Romanian, Estonian | Message 3 of 19 17 August 2010 at 5:09pm | IP Logged | |||||
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I see L2 into L1 as a waste of time. First, you are only confirming that you had actually understood the sentence and second, you are adding reference to L1 which you should be avoiding.
L1 into L2 is another matter. It allows you to deal with smaller details and confirm that you are getting closer to native-like usage of the language. 2 persons have voted this message useful | ||||||
| feanarosurion Senior Member Canada Joined 5273 days ago 217 posts - 316 votes Speaks: English* Studies: Finnish, Norwegian | Message 4 of 19 17 August 2010 at 7:28pm | IP Logged | |||||
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The thing about L1 into L2 is that you have no confirmation whatsoever that you're actually correct. At more advanced levels, it's possible for it to be useful in the way you described, but it requires an extremely advanced level of vocabulary and grammar in order to translate anything beyond the simplest of text. With L2 to L1, it's not just about confirmation that you understood. When translated hyperliterally, it's actually a way to work through certain difficult features in a language, exactly because it gives that reference point. Eventually that can be phased out as the level of comprehension with that particular construct gets better. I'd recommend it with some kind of manual transcription technique, such as Scriptorium, then making a hyperliteral translation on the next line.
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| Cainntear Pentaglot Senior Member Scotland linguafrankly.blogsp Joined 6003 days ago 4399 posts - 7687 votes Speaks: Lowland Scots, English*, French, Spanish, Scottish Gaelic Studies: Catalan, Italian, German, Irish, Welsh | Message 5 of 19 17 August 2010 at 7:46pm | IP Logged | |||||
Unless you have access to an answer key or a native speaker to verify. On top of that, there's the question of speed vs accuracy. You don't stop practising a skill when you can do it correctly, you stop when you can do it correctly at speed and without thinking about it. If you're translating things that are within your ability (eg short sentences using particular structures) and you are producing the L2 (rather than memorising the answers), then there's no problem. However, like Arekkusu, I don't see the point in L2->L1 translation. The process of translation slows down your reading and gets you into the habit of reading for translation, rather than reading as its own process. 1 person has voted this message useful | ||||||
| Arekkusu Hexaglot Senior Member Canada bit.ly/qc_10_lec Joined 5373 days ago 3971 posts - 7747 votes Speaks: English, French*, GermanC1, Spanish, Japanese, Esperanto Studies: Italian, Norwegian, Mandarin, Romanian, Estonian | Message 6 of 19 17 August 2010 at 8:01pm | IP Logged | |||||
Indeed; what's the point if no one checks the accuracy of your L2? 1 person has voted this message useful | ||||||
| tractor Tetraglot Senior Member Norway Joined 5445 days ago 1349 posts - 2292 votes Speaks: Norwegian*, English, Spanish, Catalan Studies: French, German, Latin | Message 7 of 19 17 August 2010 at 8:10pm | IP Logged | |||||
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Like Arekkusu and Cainntear, I think L2 > L1 is a waste of time. For L1 > L2, the old Teach Yourself books based on
the grammar translation method (typically the black, blue or blue and yellow TY books from the 1950s and 60s) are an excellent tool. Edited by tractor on 17 August 2010 at 8:12pm 1 person has voted this message useful | ||||||
| Jjangpie Newbie United States Joined 5489 days ago 3 posts - 3 votes Studies: Korean | Message 8 of 19 17 August 2010 at 9:40pm | IP Logged | |||||
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Hmmm yeah, I thought about L2 to L1 being useless in the sense of me basically just taking it back to my own language...but I was also thinking using it in terms of me "understanding" the other language. If I can translate it "correctly", then uh this means I understand it. Which then makes me feel like I'm getting somewhere in my "lost intermediate state".
And yes there is a problem of knowing if your translation is actually correct. I don't really care about this too much for some reason. I also have native friends so it's not a big deal. Translating L1 to L2 seems to be more popular with you guys huh? It doesn't really matter which one, I guess. It all seems fun to me. Another thing...did I forget to mention that "part" of my goal in learning my target language IS to translate it into English as a hobby in the first place? 1 person has voted this message useful |
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