Common Errors in Translating Catalan to English

Instead of ‘more or less’, try ‘about’.

For example, ‘Cook the pie for about 20 minutes.’

Instead of ‘she showed me’ or ‘she explained me’, try ‘she told me’ or ‘she said’.

For example, ‘My father told me about men like you.’

Instead of ‘Explain to me..’ try ‘Tell me about…’

For example, ‘Could you tell me a bit more about Australia?’

Instead of ‘an ex boyfriend of me’, try ‘an ex boyfriend of mine’

For example, ‘He was an ex boyfriend of mine.’

Instead of ‘we stayed in a hotel during two nights’ try ‘we stayed in a hotel for two nights’.

For example, ‘When we travelled to Egypt, we stayed in a hostel for ten days.’ 


Photo: Tiffany Jones

The Final Consonant

In Catalan you often drop the last consonant when pronouncing a word, such as 'molt'. However, in English we need to hear at least a hint of the last consonant and improved pronunciation of the accompanying  vowels. 


Take 'I didn't do it' for example. Catalan speakers can have a problem with the 'n' sound and then if I don't hear the final 't' as well, I'm really not sure if you did do it, or you didn't. 


Mary, from Canada, wrote the following about pronouncing the final consonant:

It is normal in spoken English for final consonants to be weakened in a stream of speech. Trying to pronounce each word as an isolated unit would lead to very strange and unnatural sounding speech.

For example: I walked to the store.

The /t/ in walked is not aspirated (the tongue moves to the /t/ position, but there is not puff of air to make the typical /t/ sound.) If you tried to say both /t/ sounds in that sentence, it would be very cumbersome.

It's important to note though, that because you don't hear a sound doesn't mean it isn't being pronounced.

Of course, when you are speaking a language, the goal is to be understood, and speaking clearly is important. Part of speaking clearly and understanding spoken English is being able to hear the changes that happen when words are used in combination. The changes are not random, and not simply the result of "lazy" speaking. They are phonological processes that have an impact on the success of communication.

There are some decent listening texts for intermediate + level learners that focus on these type of changes. I'm not familiar with the most recent, but Judy Gilbert is one author that springs to mind. If you check on Amazon, you'll find her books and tapes, which approach the matter fairly systematically...



Here is a link to a podcast to help with pronunciation from Improve English Pronunciation.

Follow this link for typical pronunciation errors for Spanish speakers.

The following is a link for teachers to help Spanish speakers with their English. Home Instruction PDF

For further reading, try Speech Assessment of Spanish-English Bilinguals 

BBC News - In Paris, the customer is not always right

Cultural differences come from different cultural back grounds.

'I'm not your slave'

The fact is Parisians employed in any service industry simply do not buy into the Anglo Saxon maxim, "He who pays the piper calls the tune."

In France your waiter expects to be addressed formally as Monsieur, in exactly the same way he will address you

The revolution of 1789 has burned the notion of equality deep into the French psyche and a proud Parisian finds it abhorrently degrading to act subserviently.

This Sunday, a Parisian friend of mine waited in line at the fruit and vegetable stall of his local market.

When it was his turn to be served, he asked the seller for a kilo of leeks.

"They're at the other end of the stall," snapped the vendor waspishly. "Take a bit of exercise and get them yourself."

There is no mistaking the undertone, "I'm not your slave."

Exert taken from - 

BBC News - In Paris, the customer is not always right

Overuse of the Word Beautiful

It's typical to hear Spanish/Catalan speakers overuse the word 'beautiful'. In English we use nice, pretty, attractive, lovely and cute rather than beautiful. Beautiful is often saved for top of the range gorgeousness, rather than something we may see every day. 

Also, we often use beautiful to describe something we can see, rather than something we have experienced. There are exceptions to this, but they are meaningful exceptions. 

Today, find more adjectives for the word ‘beautiful’.

The following is taken from Merriam-Webster Dictionary

Main Entry: beau·ti·ful 

Pronunciation: \ˈbyü-ti-fəl\

Function: adjective

Date: 15th century

1 : having qualities of beauty : exciting aesthetic pleasure
2 : generally pleasing : excellent

— beau·ti·ful·ly  \-f(ə-)lē\ adverb

— beau·ti·ful·ness  \-fəl-nəs\ noun

synonyms beautiful, lovely, handsome, pretty, comely, fair mean exciting sensuous or aesthetic pleasure. beautifulapplies to whatever excites the keenest of pleasure to the senses and stirs emotion through the senses <beautiful mountain scenery>. lovely is close to beautiful but applies to a narrower range of emotional excitation in suggesting the graceful, delicate, or exquisite lovely melody>. handsome suggests aesthetic pleasure due to proportion, symmetry, or elegance handsome Georgian mansion>. pretty often applies to superficial or insubstantial attractiveness pretty scenes>. comely is like handsome in suggesting what is coolly approved rather than emotionally responded to comely grace of a dancer>. fair suggests beauty because of purity, flawlessness, or freshness <fair of face>.

What adjectives could you use for the following photographs, instead of beautiful? 

English Cinema in Granollers

Cinema Club of Granollers sometimes screens movies in English. This weekend, its 

FROZEN RIVER, RÍO HELADO (2008)
de Courtney Hunt, en v.o.s.e.

Divendres 5 de febrer 2010
7 tarda i 10 vespre.
Diumenge 7 de febrer 2010
7 tarda
Centre Cultural

Picture taken from Wild About Movies 

Basic Tips To Improve Use of English In Your Every Day

If you are serious about improving your English, then there are some ways you can easily surround yourself with the language in your every day.

Switch the Language on your Phone, Facebook, Computer

• The first thing to do is change the language of your mobile to English. 
• Change the language you use Facebook or other network applications to English. 
• Change your computer settings (windows, g mail, hotmail, documents, games) to English. 

English Media 

• Read English newspapers online. *
• Watch English television channels (with and without subtitles). 
• Listen to English radio.
• Listen to English music.
• Listen to English audio books on your mp3 player/ in your car. 
• Write your shopping list in English. 

Remember

Even if you are just a beginner, the way to learn a language is to immerse yourself in it. Its difficult to learn English here in Spain because there are not many people who speak English. However, you can control some elements of your environment. 

Learning English does not mean you will forget Spanish or Catalan. You can already speak both, so now, learn another language without guilt or fear that you don't love your own language. Every one knows you love Catalan or Spanish. Its OK to love other languages also and understand their usefulness. Knowing more languages does not deplete (take away) from the ones you already know. You will not forget your own languages. 

The more time and effort you put into studying, the quicker you will learn. Its a direct relationship between effort and time spent and increased knowledge. 

* BBC News, SBS News,  ABC News

My English Experience

Apart from being a native English speaker, I have an Honours Degree in English Literature from La Trobe University, Melbourne.  I'm Australian born. 

In 2000, I travelled to Japan and taught English in a Buddhist kindergarten and a private school catering to students of all ages. I had roughly five classes a day for 18 months.

In 2003 I opened Hamar English Centre in Norway and also taught English at the local Montessori primary school and kindergarten for almost three years.  Meanwhile I also  taught English at the Hamar Tafe (Community College) to adults as a second language for two years. 

Currently I am giving private conversation classes to individuals and small groups in Granollers, Catalonia. I also do guest presentations at local schools including the Official Language School of Granollers.  I write for Revista del Vallès, for the online magazine Suite101, and maintain a health and wellness blog entitled Patheya. blogspot. 

I started this blog because I realized I was repeating a lot of information in every class. Its in your best interest to have a look at each post, and anything that stands out for you, learn it!


The cost: I take anything from 20 to 40 euros an hour for individual/group classes. It depends on your job or lack of one. If you earn a lot of money, then give me more, and if you are struggling, then give less. Its all OK.  Find a number that makes you feel like you've got a good deal and you didn't rip me off. Talk to you soon.