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Reading in Your Target Language | ||
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 Language Learning Forum : Questions About Your Target Languages |  | |
| cbashara Senior Member United States adventuresinspanish. Joined 7131 days ago 186 posts - 188 votes  1 sounds Speaks: English* Studies: Spanish | Message 1 of 18 13 October 2005 at 12:49pm | IP Logged | ||
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I was curious to get an idea what you all think about this: When you pick a novel to read in your target language do you prefer something written in the target language or translated from your Mother Tongue?
I read articles, stories, essays, and poems that were written in Spanish. Most of these where given to me by my Spanish tutor, but she recommended that I read a novel that has been translated and to pick an easier one like "Animal Farm" or "Harry Potter" and preferably one I have read before so I know the general idea of the book. I took her advice and started "Harry Potter", but pretty much gave up after the first chapter. It was really boring and tedious to read a book I had already read. I really enjoy the readings she gives me in Spanish and I feel like I learn so much from them. I ask this question because I noticed Andy is reading "The Godfather" and that made me feel really guilty for putting down my novel. I feel like reading, more than anything, has improved my Spanish. Do you think I should try and tackle a Spanish novel or is it way above my level? I am a huge fan of Isabel Allende, should I try something of hers? Maybe a short story? Just looking for advice. 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| Bart Triglot Senior Member Belgium Joined 7162 days ago 155 posts - 159 votes Speaks: Dutch*, French, English Studies: German, Spanish, Japanese, Swedish | Message 2 of 18 13 October 2005 at 1:27pm | IP Logged | ||
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I have not been studying Spanish for such a long time, but I'm reading the first Harry Potter at the moment and I'm honestly learning a LOT from this!
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| patuco Diglot Moderator Gibraltar Joined 7017 days ago 3795 posts - 4268 votes Speaks: Spanish, English* Personal Language Map | Message 3 of 18 13 October 2005 at 2:56pm | IP Logged | ||
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I think you should read what you enjoy. I really believe that reading improves everything about learning a language except pronunciation, although I suppose you could read out loud to a native speaker!
If you find "Harry Potter" boring then choose another author. My wife also likes Isabel Allende and she's tried to get me to read her books before but I always put it off (not my favourite genre). I prefer reading translated books but I'm having difficulty finding any for my target language. Edited by patuco on 13 October 2005 at 4:17pm 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| administrator Hexaglot Forum Admin Switzerland FXcuisine.com Joined 7378 days ago 3094 posts - 2987 votes 12 sounds Speaks: French*, EnglishC2, German, Italian, Spanish, Russian Personal Language Map | Message 4 of 18 13 October 2005 at 3:12pm | IP Logged | ||
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I think you can read both. Obviously, reading a book written in the target language is a unique experience and teaches you more about le génie de la langue ('the genius of the language') than reading a translated book. But if you find a book translated into Spanish which you can't put down, harness the interest to pull the plough through the vocabulary. After all, everything that pushes you to read in the target language means willpower saved for less attractive things.
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| Andy E Triglot Senior Member United Kingdom Joined 7105 days ago 1651 posts - 1939 votes Speaks: English*, Spanish, French | Message 5 of 18 14 October 2005 at 2:30am | IP Logged | ||
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Chandra,
My personal belief is that what you read depends on your starting point. As a "beginner" at reading novels in Spanish, I deliberately chose a book I knew really well in the original but also that I have enjoyed immensely re-reading in the past - patuco's point above is well-made. Since my reading "plan" is not to translate every single unknown word that I come across - that way lies boredom and frustration - I infer from context (because I already know the plot and the characters well). If I come across a word a few times and remember its previous usage in context, only then do I look it up - basically to verify that it means what I think it does. However, if you are not the sort of person that re-reads a book more than once (I am), then the level of writing is going to be the key as well as enjoyment. There's no point in picking an author you like if you're going to be looking up every second word because I believe the reading needs to "flow". Andy. 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| cbashara Senior Member United States adventuresinspanish. Joined 7131 days ago 186 posts - 188 votes 1 sounds Speaks: English* Studies: Spanish | Message 6 of 18 14 October 2005 at 10:27am | IP Logged | ||
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Ugggh! Andy, you are so right! As usual I have over estimated my Spanish! What you described was the exact case with "Harry Potter", it was boring and tedious because I was having to look up every other word, not because I had read it before! I really can be dense sometimes!
I really have to give my tutor more credit, she really puts a lot of thought into the readings she selects for me and really matches them with my skill level. That is why they are so enjoyable! Now that I think about it "Harry Potter" is probably way over my level -- sad, but true! I think I need to stick with much shorter readings for the moment that are at my level. Just goes to show you that sometimes teachers really do know what they are talking about! She does have a Master's Degree in Foreign Language Education after all! I am thinking I might get one of those books that with short stories that have facing page translations. As always, I really apreciate everyone's insight into this matter! --Chandra 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| Andy E Triglot Senior Member United Kingdom Joined 7105 days ago 1651 posts - 1939 votes Speaks: English*, Spanish, French | Message 7 of 18 15 October 2005 at 2:51am | IP Logged | ||
Chandra, I have four of these - two for Spanish and two for French. All of them are packed away in the loft and that's where they will stay. The problem with them is that in the end they interfered with my ability to read the target language. I would find my eye continually straying over to the translation "just to check". Soon I found I wasn't reading at all but translating using the facing page for confirmation of my success. So I stopped and by trial and error I've found that method I outlined in the above post works for me. Andy. 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| Sierra Diglot Senior Member Turkey livinginlights.comRegistered users can see my Skype Name Joined 7126 days ago 296 posts - 411 votes Speaks: English*, SwedishB1 Studies: Turkish | Message 8 of 18 15 October 2005 at 10:14am | IP Logged | ||
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I find Harry Potter translations to be excellent language tools. They're relatively easy to read and I already know the stories well, so I rarely come across anything I can't make heads or tails of. I have Harry Potter books in English, Spanish, French, Swedish, and Latin.
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