Stop learning English words
Six tips for those who want to learn a language and translate.
The authors of Habr, who translate articles, do a great thing - they overcome a great language barrier for others, I say this without irony. At the same time, I regularly see self-made programs or programs made by companies for memorizing words, and this I consider not the most useful thing. Yes, of course, cards are useful. At the initial stage, learning from a complete zero, the first 50 words can be learned by them. Further words are best taught in context.
')
My first piece of advice and the main thing to remember from a note is to stop remembering words. Learn grammar.
This work of Lyudmila Petrushevskaya many know. And while reading, you can even present the meaning, and if you give words to the definition, the meaning will only be clarified .
But there is no meaning without grammar. I think almost no one here knows Portuguese. Here are 4 words for you, as if you learned them from cards:
andar - go
baixo - low
terreno - land
um - one
And the phrase:
um andar baixo terreno (the mind of Andar beis terran ), "one to go low ground."
Thousands of interpretations come to mind. "One traveler walked through the valley," or even "Someone went to the lower world (died, apparently)."
In fact, I gave inaccurate translations, as if we had misunderstood the words. In this context, andar is “floor”, and baixo is the preposition “under.” The phrase means "a floor under the ground" (not underground, andar subterráneo , namely, "under the ground"). If we knew a little grammar, we would immediately notice that andar is a noun, not a verb, and baixo is a preposition, that is, it would be easier to “fix” the meaning. Without grammar, everything is blurry and fuzzy.
One student translated segundo mais importante (“second in importance”, literally “second most significant”) as “quickly became the most significant” - because segundo took the meaning of “second”, turned it into an “instant”, and thought out the verb there was not.
In our native Russian language, we rarely learn words other than incomprehensible terms. But the grammar in school has to be learned - the de-participial and participial expressions have to be specially taught to use.
Moral: language is a grammar, and that’s what you need to learn.
What does learning grammar mean? Do the exercises.
Many people say that they do not speak, but they understand that, as can be seen from the experience of my students, most likely they incorrectly separate words, but from the wrong words they make up something on the move. The mass of errors of amateur translators is due to incorrect interpretation of grammatical structures.
So, tip # 1: learn grammar .
Out of context. Read books, magazines, listen to the radio. The repeated words themselves will be remembered even passively, and more rare words if they are actively used.
Find something interesting for yourself. How did I learn Portuguese? Began to correspond on the forum about the buses of Curitiba in Brazil. Later I heard Ken Robinson speak in his speech (not about language, but about work, but it’s still exactly the same) “as soon as you find your element (what you like and it turns out), you don’t work anymore.”
Advice â„–2: Find what you are interested in, and you will not have to learn more language.
There is, however, an exception - the translation of articles. A common inaccuracy in them is incorrect translations of words referring to the cultural context. ("Noodles on the ears," "clear guys," etc.). When you (the translator) see such a word that does not fit into the literal sense, you need to look for or ask the media, but do not write gag.
Tip number 3: do not look in the dictionary when you read or write.
Many programmers are familiar with the phenomenon of Google dependency, when at work you constantly google, like “python open link”, “stick div to the bottom edge”. All this knowledge is forgotten as easily as it was found. So with the words. Looking into the dictionary is sometimes necessary to double-check the word or clarify the meaning. But if you have to watch the translation of every second word, then reading or writing is still too tough, go for a lighter load.
In general, the radio is preferable for the passive mastering of the language, because in the video for you a lot of tips - gestures, facial expressions, plot. They are not on the radio. But films with subtitles are much more than podcasts with transcripts, so the movie, of course, more convenient.
If you watch with subtitles or listen with decoding, the brain gets used to reading, which is easier. If you listen without decoding all the time, your ear will “fade” - you just stop noticing the incomprehensible. For example, I will not write misheard lyrics, because I have already got used to not noticing the incomprehensible.
Total, advice number 4: it is better to first look (listen) 1 time without decryption, then listen and read . And then you can translate unfamiliar words, if hunting.
If you have mastered the language well and are trying to translate, here is the translator’s advice, No. 5: translate a whole paragraph or a few sentences, without looking at the source text, but the meaning . For this, as you understand, it is necessary to understand the meaning accurately, and not to think out, that is, to own grammar and vocabulary.
Even if the translator has a good command of the language, the translations are word for word, all these “android applications”, “diy products” look terrible in Russian, and the translator does not speak Russian, although he simply translated from the wrong foot.
And from here advice number 6: read fiction in Russian . Or find a publicist who beautifully expressed, played with words and word formation. Then learn to think more flexibly (and not “more flexible”), and it will be easier to translate.
And throw these cards.
PS From what experience tips? I speak four languages, teach, sometimes translate, teach the fifth language.
PPS I will give a detailed answer to 2 comments with a remark, they say, to grammar is also bad.
Of course, just brewing the rules is useless. More effective practice when you try to use the words in the right form.
The advice not to learn grammar until you speak is incorrect, because you can spend a lot of time this way. When you listen to the speech and know the verb conjugations, you can hear them. If you listen just like that, for example, you don’t distinguish a verb from a noun, and, in fact, there’s nothing to catch on: children learn words together with actions in real life. Radio just tells a story without interfering in your life.
The authors of Habr, who translate articles, do a great thing - they overcome a great language barrier for others, I say this without irony. At the same time, I regularly see self-made programs or programs made by companies for memorizing words, and this I consider not the most useful thing. Yes, of course, cards are useful. At the initial stage, learning from a complete zero, the first 50 words can be learned by them. Further words are best taught in context.
')
My first piece of advice and the main thing to remember from a note is to stop remembering words. Learn grammar.
Two examples
Example 1. You know grammar - you understand the meaning
Syal Kalush on the gun and knocked down the boot.
This work of Lyudmila Petrushevskaya many know. And while reading, you can even present the meaning, and if you give words to the definition, the meaning will only be clarified .
Example 2. You do not know the grammar - talking about nonsense.
But there is no meaning without grammar. I think almost no one here knows Portuguese. Here are 4 words for you, as if you learned them from cards:
andar - go
baixo - low
terreno - land
um - one
And the phrase:
um andar baixo terreno (the mind of Andar beis terran ), "one to go low ground."
Thousands of interpretations come to mind. "One traveler walked through the valley," or even "Someone went to the lower world (died, apparently)."
In fact, I gave inaccurate translations, as if we had misunderstood the words. In this context, andar is “floor”, and baixo is the preposition “under.” The phrase means "a floor under the ground" (not underground, andar subterráneo , namely, "under the ground"). If we knew a little grammar, we would immediately notice that andar is a noun, not a verb, and baixo is a preposition, that is, it would be easier to “fix” the meaning. Without grammar, everything is blurry and fuzzy.
One student translated segundo mais importante (“second in importance”, literally “second most significant”) as “quickly became the most significant” - because segundo took the meaning of “second”, turned it into an “instant”, and thought out the verb there was not.
In our native Russian language, we rarely learn words other than incomprehensible terms. But the grammar in school has to be learned - the de-participial and participial expressions have to be specially taught to use.
Moral: language is a grammar, and that’s what you need to learn.
What does learning grammar mean? Do the exercises.
Many people say that they do not speak, but they understand that, as can be seen from the experience of my students, most likely they incorrectly separate words, but from the wrong words they make up something on the move. The mass of errors of amateur translators is due to incorrect interpretation of grammatical structures.
So, tip # 1: learn grammar .
But what about learning the words?
Out of context. Read books, magazines, listen to the radio. The repeated words themselves will be remembered even passively, and more rare words if they are actively used.
Find something interesting for yourself. How did I learn Portuguese? Began to correspond on the forum about the buses of Curitiba in Brazil. Later I heard Ken Robinson speak in his speech (not about language, but about work, but it’s still exactly the same) “as soon as you find your element (what you like and it turns out), you don’t work anymore.”
Advice â„–2: Find what you are interested in, and you will not have to learn more language.
There is, however, an exception - the translation of articles. A common inaccuracy in them is incorrect translations of words referring to the cultural context. ("Noodles on the ears," "clear guys," etc.). When you (the translator) see such a word that does not fit into the literal sense, you need to look for or ask the media, but do not write gag.
Tip number 3: do not look in the dictionary when you read or write.
Many programmers are familiar with the phenomenon of Google dependency, when at work you constantly google, like “python open link”, “stick div to the bottom edge”. All this knowledge is forgotten as easily as it was found. So with the words. Looking into the dictionary is sometimes necessary to double-check the word or clarify the meaning. But if you have to watch the translation of every second word, then reading or writing is still too tough, go for a lighter load.
How to learn a language with the help of radio or TV
In general, the radio is preferable for the passive mastering of the language, because in the video for you a lot of tips - gestures, facial expressions, plot. They are not on the radio. But films with subtitles are much more than podcasts with transcripts, so the movie, of course, more convenient.
If you watch with subtitles or listen with decoding, the brain gets used to reading, which is easier. If you listen without decoding all the time, your ear will “fade” - you just stop noticing the incomprehensible. For example, I will not write misheard lyrics, because I have already got used to not noticing the incomprehensible.
Total, advice number 4: it is better to first look (listen) 1 time without decryption, then listen and read . And then you can translate unfamiliar words, if hunting.
If you have mastered the language well and are trying to translate, here is the translator’s advice, No. 5: translate a whole paragraph or a few sentences, without looking at the source text, but the meaning . For this, as you understand, it is necessary to understand the meaning accurately, and not to think out, that is, to own grammar and vocabulary.
Even if the translator has a good command of the language, the translations are word for word, all these “android applications”, “diy products” look terrible in Russian, and the translator does not speak Russian, although he simply translated from the wrong foot.
And from here advice number 6: read fiction in Russian . Or find a publicist who beautifully expressed, played with words and word formation. Then learn to think more flexibly (and not “more flexible”), and it will be easier to translate.
And throw these cards.
PS From what experience tips? I speak four languages, teach, sometimes translate, teach the fifth language.
PPS I will give a detailed answer to 2 comments with a remark, they say, to grammar is also bad.
Of course, just brewing the rules is useless. More effective practice when you try to use the words in the right form.
The advice not to learn grammar until you speak is incorrect, because you can spend a lot of time this way. When you listen to the speech and know the verb conjugations, you can hear them. If you listen just like that, for example, you don’t distinguish a verb from a noun, and, in fact, there’s nothing to catch on: children learn words together with actions in real life. Radio just tells a story without interfering in your life.
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/172873/
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