I have a few English foreign language students who have been learning for years but feel they aren't getting somewhere. Something I often see with them is they are constantly using translation. I try to explain to them that language learning is actually not centered around translation, and I thought I'd share my thoughts.
Translating a word is a great start but I believe that eventually a new word should occupy it's own space and imagery in my brain. The quicker I can leave out a native language translation of my target language word, the sooner it's part of my 'fluent vocabulary', as opposed to what I'd call my 'translation vocabulary'. This is why I don't use flashcards or memorization techniques that rely on translations without connecting to the concept. My fluent vocabulary automatically connects to the non-verbal concept I have in my mind. My translation vocabulary takes longer to recall and I forget it soon without practice.
Using translation vocabulary, we often retain the sentance structure and definition of our native language which is problematic. Some concepts can't even be directly translated, so we're really forced to connect the words directly to concepts (such as cases) and people generally remember these vest although they take more effort to learn.
How do you use translation, and have you ever thought about it in a similar way?
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via Learn Online English Speaking
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