Pitfalls of learning English from books<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): There is no doubt that English is a very
\nimportant language. Just look at all the materials out there in
\nEnglish. Text books used in universities are mainly in English;
\nthe movies in the cinemas are in English; The Jakarta Post is in
\nEnglish.<\/p>\n
Of course a lot of materials have been translated. No movie in
\nthe cinema goes without a subtitle. This also applies for English
\nTV programs. Best sellers have also been translated. But can we
\nreally rely on these translations?<\/p>\n
With no disrespect to the translators -- it happens to be
\nsomething I also do from time to time -- there is an amount of
\ninformation missing in the translated version or, at worst, the
\ninformation is completely misleading, such as in the film
\nsubtitles.<\/p>\n
I watched Hook several years ago and in one of the scenes
\nRobin William's character says, "I have a problem with heights."
\nThe subtitle, however, reads, "Saya memiliki masalah dengan berat
\nbadan." (I have a problem with weight). In Dead Poet's Society
\nsomebody saying, "I'm not like you" is translated as "Saya tidak
\nsuka kamu" (I don't like you).<\/p>\n
More examples can be seen on the TV as well. But the most
\nridiculous translation I've encountered so far is 'foto cangkir'
\n(cup photo) for "mug shot".<\/p>\n
To avoid being misled with the information given by the
\ntranslations, a good mastery of English is a must. And now that
\nwe are entering the era of globalization, English becomes more
\nimportant.<\/p>\n
More people apparently try to learn English. If they do not
\nhave the time to take an English class, they might go out and buy
\nEnglish language study books.<\/p>\n
These books are helpful. You can learn English in the comfort
\nof your own home whenever you have the time and are in the mood
\nto do so. However, it is necessary to tread with caution when
\nbuying English language study books.<\/p>\n
Those books sold by sellers who get on and off buses or trains
\nare to be avoided. It might be tempting to buy them because they
\nare so ridiculously cheap but what is more important: the price
\nof the book or the knowledge inside it?<\/p>\n
Buying English language study books from prestigious and well-
\nknown bookstores might be a better idea but that doesn't mean
\nthat you are safe.<\/p>\n
Prestigious bookstores do not necessarily sell prestigious
\nbooks as well.<\/p>\n
On one of my frequent trips to the bookstore, a book called
\nEnglish Conversations caught my eye. The book was displayed in
\none of the well-known bookstores in Indonesia, so I thought it
\nmust be quite good. Out of pure curiosity, I flipped through the
\npages of the books just to get an idea of what the book was
\nabout.<\/p>\n
The book has two columns on one page. One column is for the
\n"English" version of the conversation while the second column is
\nin Indonesian.<\/p>\n
Allow me to enlighten you with some examples. It would be
\nbetter if I gave you the Indonesian version first so that you
\ndon't get completely lost. One example reads: Jika kamu takut
\ndisuntik, minta obat saja. The English version reads "If you
\nafraid of injection [sic]. Ask for medicine, please." As you may
\nhave noticed the English is not really English.<\/p>\n
None the less, an English speaking person might still
\nunderstand what is really meant. Now let's take a look at another
\nexample.<\/p>\n
The context of the conversation this time is about watching
\nTV. One person wants to know what's on TV, so he asks Acaranya
\napa? In English -- according to the author of this amazing book
\n-- it is, "What's the plan?"<\/p>\n
This book really amazed me. First of all, I was surprised that
\nsomebody actually had the guts to write such a book. Second,
\nthere was a publisher who actually agreed to print the book.
\nFinally, there was a bookstore manager who actually accepted the
\nbook to be displayed on the shelves.<\/p>\n
A piece of advice for those who are planning to learn a
\nforeign language is to get professional help from a professional
\nlanguage institute. If you really don't have the time to attend a
\ncourse then, by all means, buy a book.<\/p>\n
To help you pick out a book, bring a friend who speaks the
\nforeign language to get her or his advice on the quality of the
\nbook. If no such friend is available, then avoid buying books
\nfrom an obscure publisher. Stick with the well-known and credible
\npublishers.<\/p>\n
This doesn't mean that you should not consider picking up any
\nof these amazing books. If you want to get a cheap laugh then the
\nbook might be a good idea. I know I got a good laugh after
\nreading just a couple of pages.<\/p>\n
Imagine what the whole book would do.<\/p>\n
-- Laila Faisal<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/pitfalls-of-learning-english-from-books-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }