How do you know if you understand?

General discussion about learning languages
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neofight78
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Re: How do you know if you understand?

Postby neofight78 » Tue May 23, 2017 12:14 pm

We are used to the idea of not letting mistakes prevent us practicing output, it's all part of the learning process. In time and with correction those mistakes will get less and less. It seems to me we should have the same attitude to input, yes, there will be mistakes in comprehension but they will get less in time and we shouldn't worry about it too much.

Using parallel texts could give you a way to check comprehension. Here the translation will give you something to compare you understanding with. In the wild if I'm not sure I've understood someone correctly, I repeat what I think my interlocutor has said giving an opportunity for correction.

But overall, like output, it's practice, time and a smattering of correction that will slowly sort things out. The thing is to be alert for mistakes but not to be overly worried about them.
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reineke
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Re: How do you know if you understand?

Postby reineke » Tue May 23, 2017 2:20 pm

I like example sentences that provide some context.

Quedar
VERBO TRANSITIVO
1. (sobrar)
a. to be left
¿Quedan asientos para nosotros? Are there any seats left for us?

Intr.
6 (haber todavía) to be left
¿le quedan entradas para esta noche? do you have any tickets left for tonight?;

IMPERSONAL VERB
15. (general)
a. no direct translation
por mí que no quede
don't let me be the one to stop you
que no quede por falta de dinero
we don't want it to fall through for lack of money
Spanish dict.

People, places and events

"Sitio" tambien puede valer para un asiento que tengas reservado en el cine, un restaurante...."

" El taller de cocina para familias ha comenzado y ya no quedan plazas disponibles... "

"¿Le quedan entradas para la fila de atrás?"
"¿Le quedan entradas para el concierto del miercoles de.."

Disabled parking
"¿Ves esta plaza? Ponte en su lugar, no en su sitio. Respeto a las plazas para ..."

Contrastes sintácticos - francés y español
La oración impersonal
http://sintaxisfrancesa.blogspot.com/20 ... l.html?m=1
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Cainntear
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Re: How do you know if you understand?

Postby Cainntear » Thu May 25, 2017 7:23 am

I think one of the biggest barriers to understanding is when the person talking is insulting and/or belittling the person they're addressing. What ends up happening is that the listener rejects the message because they don't want to accept the insult.

Even for third parties it's difficult to accept the message, as that would make them complicit in the insult.

And so everyone disagrees with the person doing the insulting, even though there are many things they agree on.
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