It's natural to reach for your translator when you find a word you don't know in English. After all, we feel more comfortable in our native language, so putting words we don't understand into our native language feels...comforting.
If you ever hope to become a fluent speaker of English though, you will need to learn that the translator is the enemy. It will stop you from truly becoming a fluent speaker of English. Let's talk about why! Translation is for survival, not fluency For me, learning words in another languages is fun, but it can also be essential, especially if I'm traveling countries that don't speak my native language. When I visited China, for example, I ordered my food, found my hotel (etc) by translating words and phrases to help me get what I needed. (I'm sure you've done the same!) Sometimes I will ask a friend who speaks the language how to say "this word" or "that word." It's a good way to get interested in languages or get started in learning a new one! But I don't expect to learn a language by translating, and neither should you! Even with my level one (very basic) students, I try to help them find ways to translate less often. The truth is, translating can be addictive and often unhelpful. Languages are not all the same You'd think all words and phrases in your native language would translate perfectly in English, but just as grammar is different in each language, so are idioms, contexts, and meanings behind words. Some words don't exist at all in another language, or you may have several ways to say one idea whereas there are many ways to say the same idea in English. For example, in Icelandic, there are forty six ways to say "snow," whereas in English, there's just one. Learning the "hard" way It may seem "harder," but I promise putting your translator away will make you a better speaker of English. Start learning words by
I wish there was a magic button that allowed us to learn a language, simply by pushing it whenever we needed it, but there isn't. It takes time to be fluent. Translating will slow down your progress, so be brave. Put the translator away. Put yourself in uncomfortable situations--- that challenge your English skills. It's the only way you'll truly be fluent.
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