In Honor of International Translation Day: The Best Language Learning Tips!
September 30 is the International Translation Day. Established by the International Federation of Translators (FIT), this annual celebration is an opportunity to pay tribute to the work of translators who bring people across the world together by breaking down language barriers and allowing great literature to be enjoyed far more widely. In honor of International Translation Day 2015 we would like to share some language learning tips from a woman who spoke 16 languages.
Kató Lomb (1909-2003) was a language genius, a professional translator, and one of the first providers of simultaneous interpreting services in the world. Native in Hungarian, she was able to interpret fluently in 9 or 10 languages, and translate technical literature in 6 languages.
She was mostly self-taught, learning Bulgarian, Chinese, Danish, English, French, German, Hebrew, Italian, Japanese, Latin, Polish, Romanian, Russian, Slovak, Spanish, and Ukrainian by studying the textbooks and reading belles-lettres. Her aims to acquire these languages were most of all practical, but also to satisfy her curiosity.
International Translation Day | Kató Lomb’s 10 Language Learning Tips
Here are 10 language learning tips that Kató Lomb shares in her book “How I learn languages” – apply them the next time you consider learning a new language!
1. Spend time tinkering with the language every day. If time is short, try at least to produce a 10-minute monologue. Morning hours are especially valuable in this respect: the early bird catches the word!
2. If your enthusiasm for studying fades too quickly, don’t force the issue but don’t stop altogether either. Move to some other form of studying, e.g., instead of reading, listen to the radio; instead of writing a composition, poke about in the dictionary, etc.
3. Never learn isolated units of speech; rather, learn them in context.
4. Write phrases in the margins of your text and use them as “prefabricated elements” in your conversations.
5. Even a tired brain finds rest and relaxation in quick, impromptu translations of billboard advertisements flashing by, of numbers over doorways, of snippets of overheard conversations, etc., just for its own amusement.
6. Memorize only that which has been corrected by a teacher. Do not keep studying sentences you have written that have not been proofread and corrected so mistakes don’t take root in your mind. If you study on your own, each sentence you memorize should be kept to a size that precludes the possibility of errors.
7. Always memorize idiomatic expressions in the first person singular. For example, “I am only pulling your leg.”
8. A foreign language is a castle. It is advisable to besiege it from all directions: newspapers, radio, movies that are not dubbed, technical or scientific papers, textbooks, and the visitor at your neighbor’s.
9. Do not let the fear of making mistakes keep you from speaking, but do ask your conversation partner to correct you. Most importantly, don’t get peeved if he or she actually obliges you – a remote possibility, anyway.
10. Be firmly convinced that you are a linguistic genius. If the facts demonstrate otherwise, heap blame on the pesky language you aim to master, your dictionaries, or this book – but not on yourself.
Today the work of professional foreign language translation services providers is becoming increasingly important due to expanding international travel opportunities and globalization of trade markets. The need for multilingual individuals, and for people to learn foreign languages, is increasing. Follow these rules, learn new languages, and become even more successful!
Happy International Translation Day from Language Connections!
About Language Connections:
Language Connections is one of the top language service companies in the US. Over the last 30 years, we’ve focused on providing the best business translation services, interpreting services, as well as interpreter training and customized language training programs. In addition to top-tier corporate language training, we offer certified corporate interpreters and professional business translation services in 200+ languages. Our network includes linguists with backgrounds in all major industries. They’re ready to meet your needs, whether they’re for technical translation services, legal translation, government translation services, international development translation services, education translation services, life sciences translation, or something else. Reach out to us today for a free quote on our cost-efficient and timely translation services, interpreters, or other linguistic services.
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