Listen, I have a problem understanding why some advanced lessons come with whole text translations. Frankly, I think that once you reach an advanced level in reading comprehension, translations are unnecessary. At this level you should have enough ‘know-how’ to be able to wrestle with the text. Furthermore, I think translations at this level become nothing more than a crutch.
Yes, I know there is the option to ignore the text translation. That’s not what I’m talking about. My question has only to do with this “bright idea” of translations of entire texts in advanced content. Why would anyone here think them necessary for the advanced reader?
Personally I think that a translation can be very helpful for beginners. I cannot see the point for advanced learners, especially here on LingQ with the great LingQing options on the lesson’s page.
I have only one idea why I would do it: If I write a text myself in more than one language or if I translate an English lesson into German for example and provide this text as a lesson in German as well.
Like Yvette and Vera say, translations for Beginners are helpful (I do word-for-word ones into German to illustrate the different word order in English); the other stages definitely do not need them.
Actually, I find translations quite irritating at a higher level because, should we read the translation beforehand, we might lose the flexibility of doing our own learning, in a way.
Sind Übersetzungen wirklich nötig?oder verwirren sie ?
Bei Redewendungen,bin ich froh um zusätzliche Erklärungen.
Bei gewöhnlichen Texten, genügt mir das" Lingqen".Da brauche ich keine Übersetzung.
Ich versuche möglichst in der neuen Sprache zu bleiben Ich übersetze nur, was ich zum Verständnis wirklich brauche.
Das ist mein ganz persönlicher Umgang mit Texten.
After reading both your statements, I can see how effective a text translation of a lesson can be used as an entire different lesson. In fact, I think a translation serving as another lesson is perfect for this purpose.
By way of contrast, and for all the fledgling (or fully grown) polyglots here, having an accompanying translation of 2nd and/or 3rd target language could be useful for comparative study of two languages. But, we have different language slots to dive into for that kind of work.
For us bilingual birds, having a text translation, especially one in our native language, and at the advanced reading level is a mistaken idea. (Some beginners necessarily require a map at the start of the journey.)
I also agree that a certain flexibility might be lost should one be tempted to read a given translation beforehand. I would add that the business of moving from an intuitive state of apprehension to an epiphanous moment of comprehension is somehow sullied because all the gray areas have been pre-defined, the holes filled in, and the wrestling with words vis-à-vis lingQing rendered nothing more than a matter of peeking. Oh, let us not peek, let us lingQ!
Jolanda, if I understand you correctly, you are saying that personal translations of particular words are useful for expounding on the meaning of a given word. (Google Translate) I like this idea too! In fact, I do this when I’m lingQing. And this is part of the fun of relying on one’s own efforts to sort things out.
What I find extremely helpful in a lesson is an explanation or treatment given in the target language. As a case in point, in one of MissTake’s Beginner 2 French lessons, she provides an explanation of certain French verb and word use, but the explanation is in French! I love this kind of lesson! Indeed, I do! This is ideal and efficient, because it is a great teaching technique: the learner is compelled to do the work of making sense out of what does not make apparent sense, utilizing the target language.
This kind of lesson gives confidence to the learner. Put another way, a French explanation of French in a lesson massages my intelligence; an English text translation in advanced lessons “irritates” me to no end. It’s like a swipe at my intelligence or something along those lines. Target language instruction, if you will, brilliantly drives the point home–learn this portion of the language by applying what you already know. Keeping in mind too, some meanings really do get lost in translation. As a result of wrestling with the text in this fashion, we undergo a type of double reinforcement.
For me, and piggybacking on Vera’s statement, the lessons at LinQ function in part as ground work, so it stands to reason that getting down to the business of working out the difficulties–not relying wholly on text translations in the lessons–is the point of lingQing and reading, and reviewing and lingQing, and so on and so forth.