tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Sat Jun 15 09:37:41 2002
[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next]
Translating vs. Thinking
- From: Qov <[email protected]>
- Subject: Translating vs. Thinking
- Date: Sat, 15 Jun 2002 07:41:45 -0700
> >I'm no expert in languages, but trying to THINK IN the new language
> >rather than TRANSLATE TO the new language is always the better
approach > >for true understanding.
>
> While this is true, I don't think it is a helpful piece of advice for
beginners. They > definitely have to start by translating to Klingon (or
any language). Thinking in > comes when you're good at a language. How do
you get good? By practicing. > How do you practice? By translating your ideas.
I disagree. Translating your ideas is a poor way to practice, because it
encourages you to think in your own language. Much better is to examine
the available vocabulary and grammatical structures in the new language and
see what sentences those inspire. That is the beginning of thinking in the
new language. Once you are thinking in the new language, even the most
limited thoughts, that is the greatest inspiration to learn more, because
you have a LIMITER on your THOUGHTS, that limiter being your control of the
language. That drives you to expand your control.
Practice from inside the language, not from outside.