The Language
So I last night with my brain buzzing with random turkish words which got me thinking about the language (ahh its the title of the post!!).
~Harry Potter~
I had decided before we left that I would base my comprehension on how much I can understand Harry Potter in Turkish. I've had that book for years and have never done more than flip through it. Before we left I sat outside and I read a few chapters even if I couldn't follow it much based on the few sentences I could understand. Soon a few sentences grew into a few passages. When we came here I lost the book for the past week. Once we found it again I was surprised by how much I understood! Entire pages and chapters were making sense without even focussing on translating and it felt as natural as reading the original English version. It really shows how much you can absorb without realizing it in just a week.
~Eavesdropping~
Three years ago when I would listen into Turkish conversations imagining some exotic topic. This year I have to say I was disappointed. They are pretty boring. I don't know what I was expecting but not a monologue on how comfortable their shoes were, or how the child behind me in line really REALLY WANTS the dinosaur play set.
I'm not saying I understand everything, more like 85% ish. and of course the last 15% is usually directed towards me and I can't respond to.
For learning a language I really recommend watching tv (and make sure your brothers will be quiet for at least 5 min!!!)
I only wish I could speak as well as I understand but the grammar is a killer.
Speaking of grammar (I'm sorry this is going on and on!)
My friends have stated that they don't understand why English is considered difficult.
HERE's HOW!
A quick test!
which one in parenthesis is correct?
1. Do college instructors in the United States give (much homework) (many homeworks)?
In all linguistic logic one who didn't know English would assume that its (many homeworks) as homework is made to agree with the adjective. But we know that its (much homework)! Why? Because (much) already makes it plural.
Here's another one:
2. You're taking (much to much) (much to many) baggage on this vacation.
I chose (much to many) along with all the Turkish people learning English. We were wrong. It's (much to much). See I choose based on how it sounds and I can't imagine anyone saying "You're bringing much to much baggage on this vacation". It sounds wrong to me.
I guess that shows how Americans really don't pay attention to grammar as they speak. English learners are struggling to understand this messed up system that we don't even understand! I feel horrible for them, especially as I tackle Turkish grammar that seems to be abandoned in every day conversations, but hows somebody learning suppose to know what rules don't always have to be maintained? (speaking of grammar look at that run-on sentence!)
Hi Dilara,
We love reading your blog! Such an adventure you are having. Thanks for sharing it.
Your blog friends, Cousins Penny and John
Dilara,
A ha! You are really coming to grips with the language. You already know two things.
1)'translating' is not the same as understanding. I have been reading The Divine Comedy and other poets of 1300 a.d. in translation with the original on the opposite page. Some of the Italian is beginning to make sense. (Which helps because translating some of this stuff is impossible.)
I remember being in Mexico for ten days or so and having lunch at an outside restaurant in Merida. One of the stores had a sign "cubitos de hielo' and I knew what it meant without translating. Same kind of thing in Paris after a couple of weeks.
2) English is far quirkier than we learn in school. There are 180 irregular verbs and to form the past tense of a verb our minds first consult that list and, if it isn't on the list, just adds 'ed'.
More - we want more...Love, Popop