Studying your NT
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- Brown Belt
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Studying your NT
Apart from in a school or university setting, have you ever studied your native tongue? Although I find some parts of mine interesting, I have never really studied its grammar. Nor were we taught it explicitly at school so sometimes I find myself dithering over 'correct' use. This doesn't really matter much so long as I am understood but I have a desire to improve so I might study some stuff.
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- Klara
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Re: Studying your NT
If you want to become a translator or interpreter, it is mandatory to study the grammar of your native language (at least in Germany). Some years ago I bought by chance a complete study package for an English/German translator on ebay. Part of it was a German grammar course. Out of curiosity, I worked through all the 9 module books and it was amazing! Every native speaker knows of course his/her language, but for me this was a special experience, because now I could much better understand the grammar of my target languages.
And it was pure fun - I understood each word, no dictionary necessary
And it was pure fun - I understood each word, no dictionary necessary
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- Deinonysus
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Re: Studying your NT
Yes, I've been spending time reading literature in my own language lately (English). I've also been reading some books about how to read books, such as Thomas C. Forster's How to Read Literature Like a Professor, Stephen Fry's The Ode Less Travelled, and John Ciardi's How Does a Poem Mean?. I've gotten off of this a bit, but I'm hoping to get back into it. I think the reason I got off of it is that I mostly read before bed, but I'm reading Jurassic Park and it's too exciting to read right before bed so I got stuck on it and started reading German children's books instead.
I think spending time working on reading in my own language will help me appreciate literature in other languages better. I've still barely scratched the surface of Anglophone literature, and I don't think I'll enjoy reading in other languages as much if I'm trying to work on language skills and basic reading skills at the same time.
I think spending time working on reading in my own language will help me appreciate literature in other languages better. I've still barely scratched the surface of Anglophone literature, and I don't think I'll enjoy reading in other languages as much if I'm trying to work on language skills and basic reading skills at the same time.
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/daɪ.nə.ˈnaɪ.səs/
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Re: Studying your NT
Deinonysus wrote:Yes, I've been spending time reading literature in my own language lately...
I've slowly started reading again, I know that is where I learnt a lot of grammar and vocabularly in the first place. I think I will do some proper study too. As Klara has said, it is a lot more fun when you can already understand the text.
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- Ogrim
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Re: Studying your NT
Back in school I remember doing morphological and syntactical analysis of Norwegian, and I think it helped a lot for learning other languages. When I started German I already understood the difference between accusative = direct object and dative = indirect object.
I can’t say I’ve studied much since then, but I like to read articles about my NT. A major Norwegian newspaper used to have a weekly column about the Norwegian language which I enjoyed a lot. Unfortunately the guy who wrote it retired.
I can’t say I’ve studied much since then, but I like to read articles about my NT. A major Norwegian newspaper used to have a weekly column about the Norwegian language which I enjoyed a lot. Unfortunately the guy who wrote it retired.
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Re: Studying your NT
Bluepaint wrote: Nor were we taught it explicitly at school...
REALLY??? When I learnt Shona and English formally, we were taught everything explicitly and special attention was placed on grammar. Shona instruction went a bit further as we were even taught morphology.
Like @Deinonysus and @Ogrim, I actively read literature in both languages.
Deinonysus wrote: I'm reading Jurassic Park and it's too exciting to read right before bed
I can relate! I bought and read every single book by Michael Crichton (and his former pseudonym, John Lange) as a result of reading Jurassic Park. My favourite works by him are PREY and The Andromeda Strain.
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- tarvos
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Re: Studying your NT
Studying grammar in my experience is uncommon in Anglophone countries, but excellent in Europe. When I did my TEFL I tutored my classmates through the grammar rules.
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- rdearman
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Re: Studying your NT
tarvos wrote:Studying grammar in my experience is uncommon in Anglophone countries, but excellent in Europe. When I did my TEFL I tutored my classmates through the grammar rules.
They teach grammar in the USA, or at least they did back when I was a lad... and dinosaurs roamed the earth.
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Re: Studying your NT
Grammatical instruction in the native language is an important part of the compulsory school education in Poland (9 years, recently changed to 8). In high school there is a lot less emphasis on grammar, but some other parts of the language get elucidated, mainly to illustrate the literary specimens students are supposed to read (for example medieval and early modern texts are read in their original form, so the changes in word usage, etymologies etc. need to be explained). Speaking more personally, I"m interested in etymology, so my native tongue linguistic reading is centered around it. As my wife has degrees in both Comparative Literature and Language Teaching we often exchange our views on those subjects. What especially fascinates me is the development of denominationally specific Polish church terminology (for example Evangelicals often calque the English usage whereas Orthodox Christians lean towards borrowing words from either Russian or Church Slavonic).
Last edited by Theodisce on Fri Sep 07, 2018 9:01 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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- Elenia
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Re: Studying your NT
I always read posts of people talking about how they barely read in the L1 any more, because they are reading mostly, if not only, L2 books. That has never been me, and probably never will be and I'm okay with that. I always read for enjoyment, and look for TL books based on that rather than on the basis that they'll help me become a better TL speaker.
As for active study... no, but I ought to. I am constantly plagued by the thought that I probably had a better vocabulary when I was 12 than I do now. And I have absolutely no concept of grammar, which makes 'getting it' in other languages quite difficult at times.
As for active study... no, but I ought to. I am constantly plagued by the thought that I probably had a better vocabulary when I was 12 than I do now. And I have absolutely no concept of grammar, which makes 'getting it' in other languages quite difficult at times.
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