Studying languages is fun

[donnaimmaculata]

The fun thing about not being a native speaker of English is that I often learn perfectly ordinary vocabulary in the wrong context, namely through porn. Earning, as I do, my living through writing technical texts for English-language publications, I often have to use terminology such as "erections" (buildings), "lubrication" (machines) and "kinks

Comments

[maelwaedd]

That's fabulous!

I've been wondering, though: how do you find, as a non-native speaker, reading porn? Do people ever throw in terms that you have absolutely no idea about, and that you can't exactly look up in a dictionary? I considered translating Russian fanfics (not to publish online or anything: just to help me along with the language while I was studying it) then realised that I couldn't exactly translate certain terms from the dictionary. In the end I gave up without trying--and, to be honest, my proficiency in the language wasn't anywhere near good enough to go about translating--but I am curious. :)

[donnaimmaculata]

Heh! Porn is easy! I suppose I used to come across terms that I didn't understand, but I don't anymore. Basically, the terminology in pornographic texts consists either of standard terms/phrases or euphemisms that are easy to guess. - I remember that I came across the sentence "do a little strumming, love" in some romantic novel many years ago and was convinced that "strumming" must be something really filthy. I carried that conviction for many years, and even today it still has a dirty sound to me. That's what I mean about learning vocabulary in the wrong context ;-)

Reading & understanding is easier than translating into a foreign language, anyway. I'm not suprised you gave up on the Russian translations. That must be dead difficult.

[maelwaedd]

The grammar is fucking insane. The whole he/she/it business is far easier than when I was learning German, since their word endings are far more structured, but trying to account for fifty different word endings every time I opened my mouth was far too hard. Words that I know will suddenly make no sense when put into a slightly different context, and since the focus of my course was far more on grammar than on vocabulary reading anything was a nightmare.

Still, it's a brilliant language and maybe one day I'll actually learn it properly.

[donnaimmaculata]

"Studs and bars" are very dirty words. My imagination supplies studs behind bars, though. Prison bars. That's how little it takes for my mind to drop all the way down to the bottom of the gutter.

[asphodeline]

Haha, manhole!! You see how easy it is to talk "dirty" in English without even trying!!

[donnaimmaculata]

Especially without trying! There's probably serious people out there discussing the optimum dimensions of manholes in serious meetings.

[asphodeline]

Ah, no!! If ever I have to discuss manholes at work I shall have to be pulled from under the table giggling like a madwoman!!

[donnaimmaculata]

Just imagine the pain. It's like that scene from "Life of Brian" where Biggus Dickus is discussed and the guards ROTFLTAO.

[donnaimmaculata]

That's the beauty of it. Life is so much more interesting when your mind is corrupted beyond repair.

[jaceybatts]

Oh God, it doesn't take much, does it? I did a gemstone course and every other sentence seemed to be on about "hardness" and "cleavage".

It's good to know it carries over into a different language too. Life would be boring without it. Yay for double entendres!

[donnaimmaculata]

Oh dear. "Hardness" is generic enough and makes sense in the context of gemstones, but "cleavage"? - So many perfectly ordinary and harmless words are corrupted by a double meaning...