dog /2/ czech, sortie, notes
CAR ONE DOG NIL … CZECH
Do about five or six lines at a time. Do not correct anyone, though a nod in the direction from which you hear some nice bits and a glare directed at anyone who makes a blunder will liven things up a little. When you’re done with each section (that is, five or six sentences), read the correct English version—slowly enough for students to recall what they said in order to compare and draw a conclusion, but fast enough to make it impossible for them to write it down (more about that later)
před pár hodinama jsem byl na cestě sem
zrovna jsem šel po ulici a přemýšlel
když jsem najednou uviděl, jak do nějakého psa vrazilo auto
praštilo to do něj pořádně
a on zůstal pod předním kolem
dokud ten řidič necouvnul
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upřímně řečeno se zdálo že umírá
jeho majitel pustil všechno co nesl
a chystal se ho zvednout
aby ho nepřejelo nějaké další auto
akorát že ten pes ho kousnul do ruky
až z toho zakřičel ;-)
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jedna paní, co jela kolem na kole
navrhla aby toho psa vzali k veterináři
řidič souhlasil že ho tam zaveze
i když moc času neměl
tak všichni nasedli do auta a odjeli
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co tě nezabije, to tě posílí
kromě toho, když vás srazí auto, předpokládám
Doing a test like this is always going to be a fine balancing act. You need to encourage insecure students to try their best even though everyone around them is faster, more precise and seemingly coping effortlessly. Tell them (in private if necessary) they shouldn’t just repeat what they hear everyone say. It’s quite possible they will get something right that no one else did.
At the same time, you need to ask the show-offs to keep it down. Let them know they don’t have to prove their worth here and they shouldn’t make the others feel inferior. What I’m trying to say here is that the best way is to have everyone mumble their translations loud enough for there to be a buzz in the classroom (I call this sound “a creative buzz”) but soft enough that no one else is disturbed or distracted. Like I say, a fine balancing act.
If there is time at the end of class and if at least twenty minutes have passed since the first round (only doable in 90-min. classes, I’m afraid) you can go through the whole text (or best of) quickly once again. The students will roll their eyes if they fail to recall some of the phrases once again but will be pleased to see that they have retained most of them in their minds.
A day or two later, e-mail/distribute the czech version of the test to the students and give them a few days to translate it. Then do a thorough analysis in class.
Send them the English version that they can, nay must, post up in a place where it catches their eye often (until it is replaced by the next hang-up sheet). A bathroom comes to mind. No kidding.
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WHAT IF THERE ARE MORE WAYS TO TRANSLATE A SENTENCE?
make sure they know why they shouldn’t say:
he picked the dog up not to get run over again
she suggested to take the dog to the hospital
I saw a car to hit / I saw how a car hit / I saw a car hitting a dog
everything fell him down the owner
among other things, that is.
To be sure, it is advisable to acknowledge that there are alternatives to many of your translations, if only to keep from looking like the tyrant you are. At the same time you should point out repeatedly that the reason they learn English is not to strengthen their „but it’s good enough to make myself understood, right?“ convictions but rather learn new ways of expressing the same ideas.
in other words, make sure they understand why they should learn to use.
» earlier today rather than a few hours ago (and tell them to cut the „but what if this was just after midnight“ crap)
» I was walking down the street rather than I was going on the street
» on the way over here rather than when I was going/coming/walking here
» the dog seemed to be dying rather than it seemed that the dog was dying
» he was going to pick the dog up rather than he wanted to pick the dog up
» even though he was busy, he drove rather than he was busy but he took
» he didn’t have a lot of time rather than he hadn’t a lot of time
» everyone rather than all of them
(considering that the entire explanation up until now has been in English, one would think only a total ass would do the final two paragraphs in Czech. One would be right, an ass might just do that)
Všechny výše uvedené alternativy jsou formálně v pořádku. Teď je na každém jednotlivém studentovi, zda chce mluvit stejnou zglajchšaltovanou angličtinou jako naprostá většina jeho souputníků, nebo jestli vynaloží úsilí na to, aby vystoupal k trochu vyšším metám.
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rada pro učitele: v prvé řadě se snažte vyhnout stupidním debatám
» o tom, jestli je lepší pick the dog up nebo pick up the dog a jak dlouhý musí být předmět aby se up dalo hned za pick a ne až za ten předmět
» a jaký je rozdíl mezi it a that a jestli je pes he nebo she nebo it protože v angličtině jsou prý zvířata vždycky s it
» a jestli by šlo namísto until použít ’til
» a jaký je přesně rozdíl mezi somebody a someone
» a jestli se před pár hodinami dá vždycky překládat earlier today protože co když se to stalo těsně po půlnoci
a tak dál až do umrtvění jakéhokoli smysluplného výkladu. Studenti tyhle debaty milují, to samo o sobě signalizuje jejich zbytečnost.