#and vice versa because my native language has more flexibility in sentence structure than english + helps me better understand it personally

[mozquito]

out of curiosity, how did you learn korean in 2023? im trying to learn it too rn

sorry for the late reply ! this site is mostly what i used since it's easier to start with one lesson to the next for me atleast. i also recommend watching Korean with Miss Vicky/빅키샘 한국어 on youtube but there are also other good Korean language learning channels with free resources and all :J Miss Vicky's videos are beginner-friendly as she breaks down and explains very well in detail the structure of korean sentences and uses real-life examples alongside. tips i'd give is to avoid relying on duolingo since it doesn't really have the same effect as actually learning the language with respect in its culture and native people. try exploring korean songs that aren't kpop and listening to real conversations that aren't scripted. remember to keep an open-mind and don't be afraid to ask a native speaker for help. wishing u the best of luck on your language learning o7

[languagebraindump]

Catford’s translation shifts VS language learning 

I’m not going to grace your eyes with some fancy definitions of translation theories. Believe me, the fancier/smarter something sounds, the worse it is to understand. Instead, I’ll try to present a brief and easy-to-comprehend explanation and examples. 

I majored in translation, and while I thoroughly don’t enjoy it, I find some strategies and theories extremely useful in language learning. 

Check out this post to learn more about the application of translation theories in language learning. 

John Catford’s TRANSLATION SHIFTS. 

 First things first, what are shifts? 

: to exchange for or replace by another: change (Merriam-Webster)

In translation, they refer to changes/shifts in language form. 

There two types of shifts:

LEVEL SHIFTS

CATEGORY SHIFTS

LEVEL SHIFTS

Simply put, the target language doesn’t have a corresponding word but a grammatical construction. We replace grammatical constructions with words or vice versa.

Off-topic

Halliday states that language is realized at 4 different levels: lexis, phonology, graphology, and grammar. I’m not sure if graphology can influence a language learning process, but lexis, grammar, and phonology surely can. I mean, graphology (the way we write) can definitely slow down the whole process (looking at you Japanese! You and your kanji… ugh). Studying phonology (comparing sounds in different languages), on the other hand, can help you work on your accent (studying phonetics would be even better in this case).

To put things into perspective, let’s look at some examples:

I’m working  VS  Teraz pracuję  

Present Continuous indicates that the action is happening NOW. We don’t need to add the word now because the tense alone is enough. 

In Polish, you must add the word TERAZ (now) to show that the action is happening now. The verb alone could indicate Present Simple as well. 

We changed the PRESENT CONTINUOUS to TERAZ. GRAMMAR -> LEXIS 

My car has been repaired VS Moje auto zostało naprawione

Here, we have the Present Perfect Tense in its passive form and “zostało + adjective (naprawione),” which indicates passive voice in Polish. GRAMMAR -> LEXIS 

CATEGORY SHIFTS 

which consist of changes in:

Structure (syntax)

It refers to changes in word order. Polish is a very flexible language. We can start sentences with adjectives, verbs, nouns, or even adverbs. In English, unless we need to emphasize something, we start sentences with nouns.  

Class (parts of speech) 

Adjectives change to verbs, or nouns to verbs, etc.

I’m thirsty (adjective) VS Chcę (verb) mi się pić (verb)

I want (verb) a dog VS Inu ga hoshi (adjective)

Unit (sentences, clauses, phrases, words, morphemes)

Some languages are wordy (Polish is) and some are rather concise and flexible when it comes to word-formation. Japanese is a perfect example here. 

Ikigai (single word) VS a reason for being (phrase)

Mono no aware(phrase) VS a whole description because we can’t even put the meaning into one sentence

Nii-chan (word) VS older brother (phrase)

Intra-system changes 

It refers to grammatical constructions that are present in both languages but are used differently. In Japanese, plural nouns are technically non-existent. The context will tell you if we talk about one thing or many things. However, we can create plural nouns when we talk about animate objects. The concept of plural nouns does exist but is used differently in Japanese and English. 

Bonnie –tachi VS Bonnie and friends/and others

In Japanese, we used a suffix indicating that there is more than one person, but in English, we used an extra plural word to show it. 

 So, how this knowledge can help you?

It will help you ask better questions in class.

Understanding how your native language works will speed up your learning process tremendously.

If comparing languages is your favorite language learning method, Catford’s translation shifts can give an idea where to start and what to notice.

If you’re a teacher, it can help you explain some grammatical phenomena.

If you help others learn your native language, you’ll be able to explain grammatical issues, or at least give examples.

You’ll speed up your translation abilities.

 References 

Halliday, M.A.K. 1961. Categories of the theory of grammar.