Translating into English accurately
A good translation keeps every piece of meaning and sounds like natural English. Those two aims sometimes pull against each other.
Part of your national curriculum
- Writing: Translate short written text from the foreign language into English, conveying meaning accurately
Lesson overview
What you'll learn in this lesson
Translate short written text from the foreign language into English, conveying meaning accurately
Key learning points
- • Method
- • Common traps
- • Do not lose detail
This lesson at a glance
- 20 minutes
- 20 parts to scroll through
- 4 quick checks
- Marked quiz at the end
- Gentle pace: short sittings with pauses
Words to know
Scroll down — the lesson carries on below
Watch & discover
Part 1 of 20
Visual introductionPicture this
Translating into English accurately
A good translation keeps every piece of meaning and sounds like natural English. Those two aims sometimes pull against each other.
In a nutshell
Translate short written text from the foreign language into English, conveying meaning accurately
Learning cycle
Part 2 of 20
Learning cycle 1 of 2
Part 1 · Method
A short piece of teaching, then a check to make sure it has landed.
Explore the idea
Part 3 of 20
Learn
Method
Read the whole text first. Identify the tense of each verb. Translate meaning, not word order. Then reread your English alone and ask whether a person would actually say it.
Reset break
Part 4 of 20
Pause
That's sitting 1 of 5 done
Stretch, get a drink, look out of the window. There is no timer and nothing is counting down — your place is saved, so you can come back in five minutes or tomorrow.
Explore the idea
Part 5 of 20
Learn
Common traps
Reflexive verbs: me levanto is 'I get up', not 'I lift myself'. Negatives: no como nunca carne is 'I never eat meat', not a double negative in English. Idioms: tengo ganas de is 'I feel like'.
Quick check
Part 6 of 20
Quick check
Part 7 of 20
Reset break
Part 8 of 20
Pause
That's sitting 2 of 5 done
Stretch, get a drink, look out of the window. There is no timer and nothing is counting down — your place is saved, so you can come back in five minutes or tomorrow.
Learning cycle
Part 9 of 20
Learning cycle 2 of 2
Part 2 · Do not lose detail
A short piece of teaching, then a check to make sure it has landed.
Explore the idea
Part 10 of 20
Learn
Do not lose detail
Adjectives, time phrases and qualifiers carry marks. 'Suelo desayunar bastante temprano' must include both 'usually' (suelo) and 'quite early'. Dropping a small word drops a mark.
Quick check
Part 11 of 20
Reset break
Part 12 of 20
Pause
That's sitting 3 of 5 done
Stretch, get a drink, look out of the window. There is no timer and nothing is counting down — your place is saved, so you can come back in five minutes or tomorrow.
Quick check
Part 13 of 20
Explore the idea
Part 14 of 20
Worked example
Worked example
'Normalmente desayuno cereales, pero los fines de semana mi padre prepara tortilla y comemos juntos. Me encanta porque no tenemos prisa.' → 'I normally have cereal for breakfast, but at weekends my dad makes an omelette and we eat together. I love it because we are not in a hurry.' Note 'desayuno' as one verb meaning 'have breakfast', and 'tener prisa' as 'be in a hurry'.
Challenge round
Part 15 of 20
Game · Sort it
Which of these are true?
Drag each card into the right column. Tap a card first if dragging is fiddly.
True
Not true
Reset break
Part 16 of 20
Pause
That's sitting 4 of 5 done
Stretch, get a drink, look out of the window. There is no timer and nothing is counting down — your place is saved, so you can come back in five minutes or tomorrow.
Challenge round
Part 17 of 20
Game · Fill the gaps
Finish the sentences
Choose the word that belongs in each gap.
____ meaning, not word order.
Then reread your ____ alone and ask whether a person would actually say it.
Challenge round
Part 18 of 20
Game · Recall cards
Translate into English: 'Soupe de légumes maison.'
Card 1 of 4
Mastery quiz
Part 19 of 20
Marked quiz
End of lesson quiz: Translating into English accurately
4 questions, marked with the reasoning shown. No timer.
1. Translate into English: 'Soupe de légumes maison.'
2. The natural translation of 'il fait froid' is...
3. 'Actuellement' actually means...
4. 'J'avais faim' should be translated as...
Lesson round-up
Part 20 of 20
Lesson round-up
Ready when you are
Quiz score
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Games
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Points this lesson
0
Best run
0 in a row
Luna: 0 out of 4 on the practice checks. Only if you feel up to it — one more?
Ask LunaPart 1 of 20 · Watch & discover
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Translate short written text from the foreign language into English, conveying meaning accurately