I picked up language learning as a hobby a few years ago and have enjoyed keeping up with it since then, in one way or another. However, since I started college, I’ve noticed that I don’t have as much free time as I used to. Since I’m not in any programs requiring a language, I don’t get as much sustained interaction with the languages I’m learning as I would like. My time spent learning is mostly relegated to short sessions on Duolingo.
In true college student fashion, I started thinking about how to manage my time better, and possibly combine language practice with other things I would already do. As an enjoyer of books and stories, one convenient way I found is translating some of my favorite stories into my target language. It’s been a great way to feel more productive than I usually do by just passively learning, and it’s more fun than reading a textbook!
Step 1: Choose a story
In general, choose a piece you’re passionate about and interested in. That will make the process of translating it more enjoyable; think of it as getting to read the story again, while engaging with it at a slower and more special level! Also consider length, as you may want to start with short pieces that you can finish translating shortly. Those can help you keep motivated as you build your skills to tackle longer stories.
Over the summer I got back into reading fiction, especially fan fiction, a subset of stories written by fans of a (usually) published work or artist. So, when I began looking for something to translate, it seemed natural to choose one of those stories that I had recently. The nice thing about fan fiction is that they are usually relatively short—sometimes only a few pages long—so they’re the perfect material for starting out translating, still substantive but not overwhelming. And fan fiction authors are often easily reachable, only a comment or a DM away. You can consult them about their writing, or even get permission to post your translation publicly!
Step 2: Line translation
The largest and most direct step of the process is translating what was written. That is, going line by line (or even word by word!) and mapping the piece into the target language while keeping the author’s intent and style intact. Compared to other forms of language practice, this step provides less work on intuition but lots of knowledge and vocabulary. The line translations can go as slowly as you would like, and if you don’t have that much knowledge of the language beforehand, you can spend lots of time just looking up words and sentence structures in a dictionary. As with writing in your native language, you’ll learn how to use the technicalities and rhetoric of grammar and word choice to your advantage in conveying the feeling of the original work.
Step 3: Revision and Styling
Finally, you’ll want to make a pass over your translated work again, or even a few times more. Depending on your experience with the language and your dedication to the piece, this could be a long step. Unlike editing your work, this kind of editing should preserve most of the narrative structure and should focus more on styling the sentences and dialogue to be more specific to the target language. It will involve more references to writing resources in the target language since you’ll have to develop some intuition about what sounds normal or strange. It helps to have read source material in the same genre in the target language (for me, also fan fiction).
This is the most challenging step, and it’s alright to not get it perfect. After all, the point of translating is to help yourself practice; ultimately it doesn’t have to be more than a personal exercise. Especially if you’re a beginner in the language, the end result probably won’t look exactly like it was written by a native speaker. If you’re very passionate about the piece, you might consider “finishing” it at this stage but resolving to come back to it later, when you have more experience and can make it even better.
Conclusion
Whether you choose a poem, short story, or novel, translating a piece of literature you enjoy can be a fun yet intensive way to practice the language you’re learning. It’s a great way to apply your love for reading to a new language and its culture. And, best of all, you can do it any time, between class or before bed, to help you fit language learning into your busy schedule.