methodology n 1 Using a dictionary
Using a dictionary Objectives: - being able to understand any oral or written document with the help of a dictionary or an online translator - knowing how to determine the document context - determining a the nature of a word in order to find out the real meaning of the word according to its context. Final Task:I understand a funny text which contains some words which imply a deductive process to understand their meaning and to propose a correct translation.
presentation (1/3) Slide n 6 et N 7: Observation of translations Slide n 8: Different meanings of the word way Slide n 9: conclusion Slide n 10 et n 11: Translation of some sentences Slide n 12: Translations of the French word mousse Slide n 13: Observation and conclusion
Presentation (2/3) Slide n 14: Methodological principles Slide n 15 et n 16: infinitive forms Slide n 17 et n 18: different nouns Slide n 19 et n 20: understanding the abbreviations in dictionaries Slide n 21: online dictionaries: the given pronunciation
Presentation (3/3) Slide n 22: Final task goal Slide n 23: Funny text of a job ad Slide n 24: tracks to achieve the translation Slide n 25: answers Slide n 26: finding some clues: the word window Slide n 27: a specially difficult sentence: analyse
Act n 1: I observe the two following sentences and I notice the two different meanings of the verb to run He runs a big business. He runs five kilometres every day. TRANSLATION Il gère une grosse affaire Il court cinq kilomètres par jour
Conclusion of the observation to run as a verb can be translated in two different ways according to the context of the sentence - courrir - gérer
Act n 2 I take a look at the following grid and I notice some different uses of the word way ENGLISH WORDS SYNONYMOUS FRENCH TRANSLATION No way! Absolute refusal Pas question! His way home The road he takes to go Le trajet de retour back home By the way Moreover consequently De plus A propos One way or another Somehow D'une façon ou d'une autre
Conclusion of the observation I notice that some English words have different translations in French according to the context of their use as well as French words can also have different translations in English. That 's why a word can not be considered apart from its context: lexical contextualization is the key of understanding.
Act n 3 : With the help of the dictionary, I translate the following French sentences Au printemps, il y a beaucoup de mousse sur les arbres Le fauteuil est entièrement en mousse Le champagne mousse trop Je n'aime pas la mousse au chocolat John était mousse sur υn bateau de pêche
answers There is a lot of moss on the trees in spring. The armchair is totally made of rubber. This champagne bubbles too much. I don't like chocolate mousse. John was ship boy on a fishing boat
Act n 4 : I notice every translations of the French word mousse and I collect them in a grid FRENCH ENGLISH Mousse sur les arbres MOSS Mousse du fauteuil RUBBER Mousse du champagne BUBBLES Mousse au chocolat MOUSSE Mousse sur un bateau SHIPBOY
Observations and conclusions Some English words have many French translations while some French words have different translations in English : So we have a problem which is: how can I choose the right translation whatever the sense of translation is?
Some methodological principles 1) Firstly, you must determine the nature of the a noun should be translated by a noun, a verb by a verb... word 2) Secondly, find out the context of the use of the word Ex rubber is not the same thing as chocolate mouss Ex one way or another is not an absolute refusal 3) Then you are able to propose an hypothesis of translation. The translated word must be re-translated in the first language in order to find if there is a difference from the beginning. So you can check if your translation is correct or not Ex: initial sentence: I hate chocolate mousse--> Je déteste la mousse au chocolat==>valid translation EX: but if I translate : ce fauteuil est en mousse by this armchair is made of bubbles==> the reverse translation will be ce fauteuil est fait de mousse de champagne==> which is not correct. So you chose the wrong translation.
Intermediate Task 1: Act n 5 Translate the following French sentences using the appropriate English verbs and give their infinitive forms FRENCH SENTENCES Je pense qu'il gagne bien sa vie Gagne t'il beaucoup d'argent( au poker)? Je vais gagner un temps précieux ENGLISH SENTENCES INFINITIVE FORMS
Intermediate task(answers) FRENCH SENTENCES ENGLISH SENTENCES INFINITIVE FORMS Je pense qu'il gagne bien sa I think he earns a good living To earn(work) vie Gagne t'il beaucoup d'argent( Does he win a lot of money au poker)? playing poker? To win( poker) Je vais gagner un temps précieux To keep (temps) someone I am going to keep me a precious time
Intermediate task 2: : Act n 6 Translate the following English sentences using the appropriate nouns FRENCH SENTENCES Le temps est beau Ne perds pas ton temps! Quel est le temps de ce verbe? ENGLISH TRANSLATIONS
Intermediate task 2 : Act n 6 answers FRENCH SENTENCES ENGLISH TRANSLATIONS Le temps est beau The weather is fine Ne perds pas ton temps! Don't waste your time! Quel est le temps de ce verbe? What is the tense of this verb?
Act n 7 Take a look at a dictionary and find the word run and complete the following extract
Answers
Observation: some dictionaries give you the pronunciation of a word with the international alphabetic code The online dictionaries give you the opportunity to listen to a pronounced word by clicking on the appropriate icon By the way, the word typewriter contains the same sound twice. Use the button to listen to it and determine which sound is pronounced twice. Don't forget to put the stress to the right place.
FINAL TASK I understand a funny text and I am able to translate it without mistakes. I use the different techniques I was taught before. To achieve this goal, I take in account the different activities which are supposed to help me.
FINAL TASK: a) read this text and notice It's not very hard but some difficulties still remain Let's consider the words sign and type. Looking at a bilingual dictionary or at an online translator you find signer et type. But, these results are obtained regardless to the word natures You probably have already found the meaning of the second sentence. However if you look for the word saw you find la scie which here doesn't make sense...so, where is the trick?
answers Sign in this context is a noun. So it can be translated by signe ou panneau. The most available here is the second one Type : is used here as a verb which can be translated by taper à la machine So, the trick is to be absolutely aware of the word nature. In fact saw is used as the past form of the verb to see
b) find the best translation When you look in the dictionary at the translation of the noun window you find the noun fenêtre. Even though you have respected the advice to look for words with the same nature, this clue seems to be not sufficient. What translation would be better according to this context. So you have to take in account that other translations are possible and you must find the one which fits to the context. (a local business) In this case window vitrine
c) the most difficult sentence the dog produced a sample spreadsheet Subject Noun preterit of to produce echantillon verb tableur example Le chien produisit un exemple d'utilisation du tableur Each group reads and translates a part of the text NOW, IT'S UP TO YOU!