Entry 2 - First Impressions

First impressions

Since I am working from home, I didn't get the chance to go in a new environment with English speakers. However, I must admit that I like this environment, me in front of my computer, comparing English's grammar structures and vocabulary to French's. It is interesting to notice the differences between them, but it's also a challenge for me to find a way to express the right ideas in my mother tongue. 

Mistakes and misunderstandings

During my first meeting with my host, I made a mistake that made me realise how easy first language interferes with second languages in spontaneous oral communication. Instead of saying "I have a job", I said "I have a work" because I thought of the French word "travail". I have to be careful not to let my mother tongue get mixed up with English.

I also saw an expression that I didn't understand because I translated it into French word by word and it didn't make sense. "Lands having high biological importance" means that the land is home to an enormous amount of fauna and flora, and not a "grande importance biologique".

Cultural observation
I noticed that English communities don't welcome each other like French communities do. In French, when a men or a women meets another women, they will greet each other with a peck on the cheek, what we call "bises". English speakers, however, greet each other with a hand shake, regardless of genders. I found it surprising when I met my host for the first time. 

Idioms and expressions are hard to translate

During the week, I also learned many new idioms. This is the most difficult part in translating a text in my opinion, because many expressions do not have the same meaning in French. For example, the English language is full of two-words adjectives, like "well-structured" or "last-minute", while French separates these words (we would then say "bien structuré" or "à la dernière minute").

Strategies and vocabulary

Finally, through my work, I encountered new vocabulary words. In order to get their meaning right, I tried to use the "Guessing" strategy. Here are some examples of vocabulary I developped:

• Courtyard - A space open to the sky surrounded by four walls. My host wanted me to meet him in the courtyard behind a coffee shop. I guessed that it was a "terrasse", a space where we could sit outside, and I was right.
• Empower - To make something stronger.
• Sustainable - Something that will last, that will be kept in existence.