Pitfalls of learning English from books

JAKARTA (JP): There is no doubt that English is a very important language. Just look at all the materials out there in English. Text books used in universities are mainly in English; the movies in the cinemas are in English; The Jakarta Post is in English.

Of course a lot of materials have been translated. No movie in the cinema goes without a subtitle. This also applies for English TV programs. Best sellers have also been translated. But can we really rely on these translations?

With no disrespect to the translators -- it happens to be something I also do from time to time -- there is an amount of information missing in the translated version or, at worst, the information is completely misleading, such as in the film subtitles.

I watched Hook several years ago and in one of the scenes Robin William's character says, "I have a problem with heights." The subtitle, however, reads, "Saya memiliki masalah dengan berat badan." (I have a problem with weight). In Dead Poet's Society somebody saying, "I'm not like you" is translated as "Saya tidak suka kamu" (I don't like you).

More examples can be seen on the TV as well. But the most ridiculous translation I've encountered so far is 'foto cangkir' (cup photo) for "mug shot".

To avoid being misled with the information given by the translations, a good mastery of English is a must. And now that we are entering the era of globalization, English becomes more important.

More people apparently try to learn English. If they do not have the time to take an English class, they might go out and buy English language study books.

These books are helpful. You can learn English in the comfort of your own home whenever you have the time and are in the mood to do so. However, it is necessary to tread with caution when buying English language study books.

Those books sold by sellers who get on and off buses or trains are to be avoided. It might be tempting to buy them because they are so ridiculously cheap but what is more important: the price of the book or the knowledge inside it?

Buying English language study books from prestigious and well- known bookstores might be a better idea but that doesn't mean that you are safe.

Prestigious bookstores do not necessarily sell prestigious books as well.

On one of my frequent trips to the bookstore, a book called English Conversations caught my eye. The book was displayed in one of the well-known bookstores in Indonesia, so I thought it must be quite good. Out of pure curiosity, I flipped through the pages of the books just to get an idea of what the book was about.

The book has two columns on one page. One column is for the "English" version of the conversation while the second column is in Indonesian.

Allow me to enlighten you with some examples. It would be better if I gave you the Indonesian version first so that you don't get completely lost. One example reads: Jika kamu takut disuntik, minta obat saja. The English version reads "If you afraid of injection [sic]. Ask for medicine, please." As you may have noticed the English is not really English.

None the less, an English speaking person might still understand what is really meant. Now let's take a look at another example.

The context of the conversation this time is about watching TV. One person wants to know what's on TV, so he asks Acaranya apa? In English -- according to the author of this amazing book -- it is, "What's the plan?"

This book really amazed me. First of all, I was surprised that somebody actually had the guts to write such a book. Second, there was a publisher who actually agreed to print the book. Finally, there was a bookstore manager who actually accepted the book to be displayed on the shelves.

A piece of advice for those who are planning to learn a foreign language is to get professional help from a professional language institute. If you really don't have the time to attend a course then, by all means, buy a book.

To help you pick out a book, bring a friend who speaks the foreign language to get her or his advice on the quality of the book. If no such friend is available, then avoid buying books from an obscure publisher. Stick with the well-known and credible publishers.

This doesn't mean that you should not consider picking up any of these amazing books. If you want to get a cheap laugh then the book might be a good idea. I know I got a good laugh after reading just a couple of pages.

Imagine what the whole book would do.

-- Laila Faisal