| Pages in topic: < [1 2] | Is it better to live in country of source language if possible? Thread poster: Joanna Coryn (X)
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| You have to live in the target language country, unless you speak the target language all of | Dec 10, 2013 |
the time at home, read most of the books and press in that language and watch all TV in that language, you really have to live in the target language country. After even just a few years in another country your target language may become stiff. It might be beneficial, though, to live in the source language country for a few years lik 3 - 10 to improve the understanding.
Language attrition may not affect English to the same extent as other langueges, because everything is in Engli... See more the time at home, read most of the books and press in that language and watch all TV in that language, you really have to live in the target language country. After even just a few years in another country your target language may become stiff. It might be beneficial, though, to live in the source language country for a few years lik 3 - 10 to improve the understanding.
Language attrition may not affect English to the same extent as other langueges, because everything is in English these days since it has become an unofficial lingua franca, but with other languages -- your style may become questionable, if you have lived in a non-target language speaking country for a very long time, like more than five years.
[Edited at 2013-12-10 12:33 GMT] ▲ Collapse
| | | | Jessie LN 
United Kingdom
Local time: 02:20
Spanish to English
+ ...
| It depends on your preferences and priorities | Dec 10, 2013 |
I used to think that I'd be better off living in a source-language country too, but my priority is to be near my family and friends in the UK.
Although I haven't lived in Spain for five years, my receptive skills have not deteriorated - these are the ones that are most important for me as a translator. I still read and watch TV/films regularly in Spanish. However, I don't speak in Spanish on a daily basis anymore, so my productive skills aren't as good as they used to be. I can sti... See more I used to think that I'd be better off living in a source-language country too, but my priority is to be near my family and friends in the UK.
Although I haven't lived in Spain for five years, my receptive skills have not deteriorated - these are the ones that are most important for me as a translator. I still read and watch TV/films regularly in Spanish. However, I don't speak in Spanish on a daily basis anymore, so my productive skills aren't as good as they used to be. I can still communicate well and I know that if I want to improve them, I can hop on a plane to Spain... ▲ Collapse
| | | | Sonia Hill
United Kingdom
Local time: 02:20
Italian to English
| Same as Karen | Dec 10, 2013 |
Karen Stokes wrote:
Hi Joanna,
I work in the same language combination as you but am based in the UK. For me, at least, it's an advantage to be surrounded by my target language as that's what I'm producing every day. It certainly hasn't caused me any problems as far as getting business is concerned – in fact the vast majority of my clients are in France.
Karen
I lived in Italy for five years before deciding to move back to the UK. In my case I feel my translations have improved as a result. Living in the UK means that I keep up to date with my target language and produce more natural-sounding translations. When I was in Italy I sometimes struggled to think of the words in English. I realise it may not work like this for everyone, but this has certainly been my experience. I should add that when I was in Italy I spoke Italian all the time and didn't know any other English speakers, meaning that I didn't use my target language all that much.
[Edited at 2013-12-10 13:02 GMT]
| | | | | Not necessarily | Dec 10, 2013 |
You should preferably be on current terms with both source and target, which kinda makes such questions moot.
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Texte Style wrote:
I have the same combination as you and have lived in Paris all my adult life. While I am obviously exposed to a lot of French, I do also have plenty of contact with native English speakers.
Insert South of France instead of Paris - that's me! After 16 years here, I am at the point where I have to make extra efforts to keep up with my native language. We speak French in our daily family life, which doesn't help.
| | | | | Target language country for me | Dec 11, 2013 |
After 18 years in the Netherlands, my English was definitely deteriorating, despite watching BBC TV every evening. Now I live in France and watch and listen to even more BBC and my English is now back to normal. With a Dutch husband, expat Dutch social life and reading Dutch literature I can keep up with the source language to a certain extent.
Unfortunately all this doesn't leave much room for learning French properly - especially for my middle-aged brain!
| | | | | Both languages supported | Dec 11, 2013 |
Like a few of you, I have noticed a few prerequisites that the translator lives in the country of the target language. I live in the UK, am a native French speaker and work in our business with my wife who is a native English speaker, which means we have a check both ways. As a former teacher she is very quick to offer improvements to my English (including this morning - "You don't mean 'I haven't finished my coffee' , you mean 'I didn't finish my coffee' "). We have a property in France where ... See more Like a few of you, I have noticed a few prerequisites that the translator lives in the country of the target language. I live in the UK, am a native French speaker and work in our business with my wife who is a native English speaker, which means we have a check both ways. As a former teacher she is very quick to offer improvements to my English (including this morning - "You don't mean 'I haven't finished my coffee' , you mean 'I didn't finish my coffee' "). We have a property in France where we spend time each year - me, to refresh my French, she to improve her fluency. This definitely helps - I find myself thinking in French again, and translating into English, when we return.
Another tip - although some might find this distracting or irritating- is that I keep French TV playing in the background on my PC (using www.filmonTV.com) or I have French radio playing (almost all stations are easily accessible from the Internet).
Another useful strategy is that we host native French speaking students, whose French is current, and I often have discussions with them about exactly the right way to express something (although it is sometimes correcting their less than perfect command of their native language - a complaint my wife often makes about native English speakers!).
The wonder of the internet means that it is much easier for us to keep up our native languages. ▲ Collapse
| | | | | It depends a little on what you translate | Dec 12, 2013 |
If you do a lot of marketing, advertising, press releases and so on, then you do have to make an effort to keep up with the latest buzzwords, and living in the target language country is probably an advantage.
If you translate law, technical manuals and more 'conservative' texts, then you will not have a lot of difficulty in finding the same sort of thing on the Internet or in print, and it will not make so much difference where you live.
In fact I find that when I go r... See more If you do a lot of marketing, advertising, press releases and so on, then you do have to make an effort to keep up with the latest buzzwords, and living in the target language country is probably an advantage.
If you translate law, technical manuals and more 'conservative' texts, then you will not have a lot of difficulty in finding the same sort of thing on the Internet or in print, and it will not make so much difference where you live.
In fact I find that when I go round in the UK for a month in the summer, I actively notice the language in a way that I don't with Danish at home. It has become so much my language of habitual usage that I have to work at it to notice the tiny shifts.
I probably sound like a grandmother or an elderly hippie in both languages, but as the years go by that is inevitable!
Understanding the source is half of translation, and when proofreading I have seen people misunderstand the most surprising things... though I can see why when I think about it.
Ideally you should probably live two or three months at a time in each country ... but you have to settle for what is feasible! ▲ Collapse
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Joanna Coryn (X)
France
Local time: 03:20
French to English
TOPIC STARTER | Lots and lots of interesting points | Dec 12, 2013 |
About receptive and productive skills - Jessie
About living in the UK and producing more natural-sounding translations, and sometimes struggling to find the English in Italy - Sonia
Philippe and Christine - very much like the idea of spending significant time both places! (I'm lucky that I'm not tied in that respect)
And I believe you're right, Philippe, about the benefits of the internet in this context.
My further thanks to all of you who've ... See more About receptive and productive skills - Jessie
About living in the UK and producing more natural-sounding translations, and sometimes struggling to find the English in Italy - Sonia
Philippe and Christine - very much like the idea of spending significant time both places! (I'm lucky that I'm not tied in that respect)
And I believe you're right, Philippe, about the benefits of the internet in this context.
My further thanks to all of you who've answered - it's a fascinating discussion, I think! ▲ Collapse
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