tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Mon Aug 10 15:14:06 1998
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Re: Alternative approach to learning klingon
- From: Robyn Stewart <[email protected]>
- Subject: Re: Alternative approach to learning klingon
- Date: Mon, 10 Aug 1998 15:06:18 -0700 (PDT)
---Matthew Peperell wrote:
>
> What about obtaining klingon texts, such as Shakespeare / The Bible
> and translating into english to implant klingon grammer in my brain.
It used to be quite common for students to learn foreign languages by
reading classical texts, but I don't think it is done very often
anymore, at least not until the advanced levels. Maybe new teaching
methods are just a change of fashion. I suspect they have been shown
to be better for a majority of students.
> This way the concepts shopuld become second nature and I will not >
have to unlearn anything I may have learned incorrectly. It should be
> more effective than me composing klingon messages and having half >
of what I write corrected.
A year and a half of watching the list, added to a year of being BG
have *slowly* pounded into my head the knowledge that everyone learns
differently. If you find reading Hamlet effective, then do it. It's
not going to hurt. Mark Shoulson would love you to report errors and
typos you find before the book is republished in paperback.
> Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining (far from it;
> I appreciate any help I get), it's just that the approach of using
this
> list for beginners seems to me to be a little slow. This method will
> have the added bonus of teaching vocabulary, instead of browsing a
> list and then picking a word to use at random.
Anything you can do to teach yourself the language is good if it
works. Try it out. If it works then a) you've learned something and
b) you can recommennd it to others.
> Does anyone have any thoughts on this?
My only caution against learning solely by translation from Klingon
texts is that any of the translations represents the state-of-the-art
at the time the translation was done. Our knowledge is increasing all
the time, as are the skills of the speakers. You could learn
constructions that we have since learned are not valid. In the case of
some Bible verses you will be reading some pretty confusing text with
many basic errors. In the case of Hamlet you will be reading hundreds
of non-canon compound words, like /yoDSut/ (fairly intuitive) and
/SutDI/ (what would you guess it meant?) Also, remember, Hamlet is in
iambic pentameter. Certain liberties have been taken with the
language. And it's not canon.
==
Qov - Beginners' Grammarian
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