Grammar Speed Learning: S.L.T

Bunpro
#1

Hey everyone, and also specifically admins and developers!

I came across this website:
http://members.japanesemasterymethod.com/bonus/7-secrets-to-learn-japanese-fast/
Check out 'Secret No.5". It’s about Super Literal Translation, in order to understand Grammar faster and better.
I think it’s a great idea! :slight_smile:

How about you guys change the English translation of the grammar examples into a Super Literal Translation? for students to speed up their learning process.
I assume most people here are fluent in English, so it will be easy to understand the meaning/context, even though the English will be grammatically incorrect.
I understand it would not necessarily work with every example, but I’m sure for quite many.

What do you think? :slight_smile:

#2

I think super literal translations can be helpful when specifically breaking down a difficult sentence. Otherwise I find them confusing and counterproductive. I would not want to see them on Bunpro.

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#3

I wonder if there is science behind this? My guess is that this helps you learn words in the short-term but hurts grammar in the long-term. For a language as different as Japanese from English, you’re going to want to get away from translation as fast as possible.

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#4

I think it’s a between step, where you also literally translate the “broken” English to regular English. However, these more abstract translations carry a larger benefit with them; they also show the nuance of the sentence. I think that is more important than removing those in favor of being able to remember the grammar more easily. Especially in Japanese where tone of voice and formality is built into the language.

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#5

THAT’S WHY the literal translation. It needs to make sense in your brain. Your brain adapts to it. With the literal translation I think it will stick faster.

#6

I have been nudging Bunpro in this direction for a while. But it’s really a case by case basis. When there is a particular sentence that you think would benefit from this kind of treatment I would make a thread about it. But a sweeping call to transliterate the whole sentence bank I fear would fall on deaf ears. Unless you start actively doing it to sentences and recommending specific changes then its not going to happen.

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#7

I thinks it’s like counting with your fingers and rounding out significant figures. To some degree, we all have to do this in the beginning of new grammar points but it’s not a habit worth keeping and can lose accuracy of certain nuances. Plus there is the craft to smoothing out translations in real time for listening/speaking.

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