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Post by Ithiarel on Jun 30, 2012 4:49:30 GMT -5
Even now, I mostly read over my texts to see if it sounds right, or if not, to pinpoint why it doesn't. That's the way I do it, too. My problem is that I can't translate at all between German and English. There are quite a lot of English words and terms that I understand fine in English, but have no clue what the German equivalent might be. E.g. "to frown"; I always have to look that up if I'm translating. I know exactly what face and emotion go with it, but the German word for it??? ( dict.cc here I come!) I never learned vocabulary by heart; I picked it all up by context, which means that either I think and write English OR I think and write German. |
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Post by Kitty279 on Jun 30, 2012 7:58:36 GMT -5
Yeah, I know what you mean, sometimes I say something in German and have only the English word in mind and am desperately trying to find the German expression - how stupid is that when it's my own language? For the same reason, I can use either language, but it's hard to translate a text properly, because I'd say it so different in the other language. Well, I had to look up vocabulary - context doesn't work when half the sentence falls under that category  Besides, it can backfire. Once, I saw 'eventually', automatically did read 'eventuell' and it even fitted halfways, so the translation stuck. Till I encountered it again and again in a context where it didn't fit at all, so I had to look it up and was rather put off to realise I had it all wrong. When I complained to a friend who was married to an American and had lived in NC for years, she was as convinced that my initial guess was right, too. She was rather confused when she went for her dictionary ... so you see, now and then looking it up doesn't harm, either. |
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Post by viralic1 on Jun 30, 2012 8:05:54 GMT -5
English confuses me half the time, and I've been speaking it my entire life. Mainly, I hate the "rules" you learn in elementary and middle school, and then in high school teachers are like "Yeah that's completely wrong."
It really is a problem with schools, teaching the wrong thing in the earlier school for convenience and then leaving it up to high school to fix the mistake.
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Post by Kitty279 on Jun 30, 2012 8:08:06 GMT -5
Hm ... that might explain why an acquaintance of mine who was US kept insisting on rules that left me tearing my hair out because I knew they were completely wrong. But prove that when it's not even your first language ...  |
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Post by viralic1 on Jun 30, 2012 8:10:14 GMT -5
It's a common problem these days unfortunately. The problem especially is that most kids don't bother to ask if those rules are true, because they've grown up on them and teachers don't disprove the rules because they think the kids already know it's not right.
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Post by Kitty279 on Jun 30, 2012 8:32:48 GMT -5
But that person was in her early 50's, so it can't be too much of a recent problem.
To not say anything to these mistakes seems pretty stupid to me - the more they use the wrong version, the more the mistakes are ingrained and the harder it becomes to re-learn it the right way.
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Post by viralic1 on Jun 30, 2012 8:44:49 GMT -5
It is stupid. If America gave more of a shit about our own country instead of everyone else's, our problems wouldn't be as numerous, and if administrators and politicians were smarter, we'd be better off in school. My school just bought over 400 new Imac laptops and desktops, yet our books are from 2006 and are in crap condition. Teachers don't teach, they just sit there and collect a paycheck while the people who actually try to help get laid off. TBH, I have no love of many things American does. Moving out of the country is a very high possibility for me.
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Post by Kitty279 on Jun 30, 2012 9:09:51 GMT -5
You kow, I fear that most nations feel the same about their own country. There are so many things grating on my nerves here, too! Sometimes moving sounds good, but the problem is, how do you avoid to end up with the same problem again? You know - from the frying pan into the fire.
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Post by G. Novella on Jun 30, 2012 9:21:39 GMT -5
I speak quite a few languages, and often I find that whilst I can think in one language, I can speak in that language. If I'm trying to do a translation I'll never get it. And sometimes I mix up completely different languages like French and Hindi while I'm talking because a word from the other language I use more in daily speaking so it just pops out of no where.
As for language schooling, In Canada I find that the education system is neither good nor bad. They don't really teach rules as such, just basic rules. I have many friends who don't know what a homonym is because it's not stressed. Nor do they understand the idea of synonyms, antonyms, etc. But they're writing isn't terrible (unless it's formal writing pieces, in which they don't understand the difference between casual and formal writing)
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fino
Squib
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Post by fino on Jun 30, 2012 9:49:03 GMT -5
how do you avoid to end up with the same problem again? Ha, a wrong usage here. Remember we should always use -ing after "avoid". And I'm curious that since we all come from different countries, what time is it in your countries? It's 22:50 here  |
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Post by viralic1 on Jun 30, 2012 9:50:38 GMT -5
It's 10:50 here.
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Post by physicssquid on Jun 30, 2012 10:23:42 GMT -5
16:23 here.
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Post by Kitty279 on Jun 30, 2012 10:47:30 GMT -5
Sorry, but I never learned any grammar rules. Will try to remember, though - thanks!
Right now, it's 17:48 here.
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Post by RogueNya on Jun 30, 2012 11:06:03 GMT -5
how do you avoid to end up with the same problem again? Ha, a wrong usage here. Remember we should always use -ing after "avoid". And I'm curious that since we all come from different countries, what time is it in your countries? It's 22:50 here Actually it should be put like this: How do you avoid ending up with the same problem again? |
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Post by reedygirl on Jun 30, 2012 11:24:23 GMT -5
it's 17:24 here
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Post by Dimcairien on Jun 30, 2012 18:40:22 GMT -5
16:40 over here.
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Post by mountaingirl777 on Jun 30, 2012 18:46:24 GMT -5
It is 16:46 here, or 4:46 PM.Btw, why military time?
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Post by physicssquid on Jun 30, 2012 18:49:38 GMT -5
I don't know, I've just got used to using twenty-four hour clocks, and it's now 00:49 here.
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Post by RogueNya on Jun 30, 2012 18:50:46 GMT -5
Hmm not sure without looking back to see how this time started...
7:50 PM EST
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Post by viralic1 on Jun 30, 2012 19:07:30 GMT -5
I've always used military time personally. It's just a bit easier for me to read then standard time.
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Post by Kitty279 on Jul 1, 2012 1:28:23 GMT -5
Here it's pretty normal to use the 24 hours as well. It took me a while to get used to the am and pm thing.
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Post by MySecretSecondChance on Jul 1, 2012 1:36:52 GMT -5
16:36 here
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Post by Dimcairien on Jul 1, 2012 1:37:54 GMT -5
Typically I use AM and PM, but I can translate between the two versions.
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Silvertongue
Headmaster/Headmistress
I've got Slytherin Pride
Posts: 1,595
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Post by Silvertongue on Jul 1, 2012 5:38:06 GMT -5
I use both ways too. Right now it is 11:38 in England.
Btw, sorry for my absence yesterday but I got a puppy! Was quite busy with him.
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Post by Ithiarel on Jul 1, 2012 5:59:17 GMT -5
Btw, sorry for my absence yesterday but I got a puppy! Was quite busy with him. Aw. That's cute. What's it called? And it's 12:58 in Germany (one hour ahead of Britain right now because of daylight saving time.) |
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Silvertongue
Headmaster/Headmistress
I've got Slytherin Pride
Posts: 1,595
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Post by Silvertongue on Jul 1, 2012 6:01:07 GMT -5
His name is Merlin. He's a 9 week old black Cocker/Springer Spaniel with a white chin and chest. ^_^
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Post by Ithiarel on Jul 1, 2012 6:05:05 GMT -5
Very fitting. And spaniels are said to be really clever. You could probably start teaching him little tricks soon. He'd really earn his name then. ;D |
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Silvertongue
Headmaster/Headmistress
I've got Slytherin Pride
Posts: 1,595
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Post by Silvertongue on Jul 1, 2012 6:11:07 GMT -5
hahaha! Yeah he's not even bee here for a whole day and he knows how to get outside to go to the toilet and he knows his little tent/crate is his bed and goes there to sleep. My cats are so funny around him though. One of them puffs up and growls at him when he moves but insists on sitting in the background and watching him anyway. It doesn't even bother him.
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Post by Kitty279 on Jul 1, 2012 6:34:01 GMT -5
Congrats on little Merlin! And I hope you have lots of fun with him!
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Post by Ithiarel on Jul 1, 2012 6:35:07 GMT -5
Cats always need a long time to get used to another animal being around. I know, I've got a few cats myself.
I once had a cat who was jealous of my mobile phone. Every time it rang, she tried to hide it under the sofa, just so I wouldn't pay more attention to the phone than to her. ;D
I'm sure your cat will get used to Merlin. It might take awhile though. And maybe she'll even push him around once or twice (or claw at him). But that's normal behaviour. It should stop after a week or so.
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Besides, it can backfire. Once, I saw 'eventually', automatically did read 'eventuell' and it even fitted halfways, so the translation stuck. Till I encountered it again and again in a context where it didn't fit at all, so I had to look it up and was rather put off to realise I had it all wrong. When I complained to a friend who was married to an American and had lived in NC for years, she was as convinced that my initial guess was right, too. She was rather confused when she went for her dictionary ... so you see, now and then looking it up doesn't harm, either.
