Lost in Translation
a B2 class
Goal
Steps to get to your goal
Step one (5 min.)
Choose a partner that you’d like to work with, this assignment works best if you work in pairs or a small group, maximum of four. Get the text from one of the websites below or your teacher, a marker and pen and paper
Step two (45 min.)
Without reading the text first you start translating. You do this in turns. One person reads the sentence in English first, then translates the sentence in Dutch. When they get stuck or make a mistake the other group members can help.
During this process you each highlight :
Sentences that are difficult to translate and why (certain grammatical issues)
the words that were difficult to translate & their translation
words that you find very suitable for the subject
words that you’d like to use to upgrade your use of vocabulary.
Make sure that you highlight repetitive words as well (words that occur more than once).
Taking turns, you translate as much of the text as possible. You don’t have to write down the literal translation in Dutch but you can jot down keywords for every sentence.
At the end of each paragraph you summarise it in English and Dutch.
Step 3 (10 min.)
Go to www.smore.com and make an infographic on the document you have translated. Add visual aids (pictures) to enhance your infographic. Make headings with the bullet points mentioned in step 2. Make sure you don’t put too much text in so your presentation is focussed on you, not your Smore, your Smore is just a visual aid!
Step 4 (30 min.)
Present your Smore in front of the class and use the words that are on the wordle to explain what the text was about, which words (or sentences that they were in) you found difficult to translate.