Of the correction of notebook entries... I'm kind of new to this whole Italki community. So far, I'm trying my best to participate in the different activities the site has to offer. One that I fin

Gérald

Of the correction of notebook entries... I'm kind of new to this whole Italki community. So far, I'm trying my best to participate in the different activities the site has to offer. One that I find really useful is the notebook redaction. It's an opportunity to be helped by native speakers without the burden of trying to find someone sharing the same agenda as yours for the conversation exchange. You write a small piece of text, you get a correction.... isn't that cool ? But I wondered how, as a native french speaker, I should correct other people's text. Should I just correct grammar & vocabulary, or should I go a step further and try to give the sentence a "natural feeling" ? For example, sometimes I read corrections that are "correct". The words are OK, the grammar is OK, but the whole text feels awkward, like "I'm going to lift the flower to your office". I guess this is understandable, but it doesn't really feel natural to say that. Or, sometimes, I encounter Yoda's disciples corrections "to your office, the flower will be lifted". OK, that's correct, but you won't normally say that. So I've chosen, as of today, to try to translate the whole text and not only the grammar and vocabulary. Of course, this won't fit every students... maybe sometimes, especially for beginners, it's best to stay simple. Anyway, hope this will help.

Oct 22, 2014 7:23 AM

Corrections · 3

Of the correction of notebook entries...

I'm kind of new to this whole Italki community.

So far, I'm trying my best to participate in the different activities the site has to offer. One that I find really useful is the notebook writing ("redaction" is french only even without the accent). It's an opportunity to get helped from native speakers without the burden of trying to find someone sharing the same calendar (faux-ami/false friend : "agenda" in English stands for "ordre du jour" in French) for conversation exchange.

You write a small piece of text, you get a correction.... isn't that cool ?

But I wondered how, as a french (inversion) native speaker, I should correct other people's text.

Should I just correct grammar & vocabulary, or should I go a bit further and try to give the sentence a "natural feeling" ?

For example, sometimes I read corrections that are "correct". The words are OK, the grammar is OK, but the whole text feels awkward, like "I'm going to lift the flower to your office". I guess this is understandable, but it doesn't really feel natural to say that. Or, sometimes, I meet Yoda's disciples corrections "to your office, the flower will be lifted". OK, that's correct, but you don't normally say that.

So I've chosen, as of today, to try to translate the whole text and not only the grammar and vocabulary.

Of course, this won't suit every students (or all the students)... maybe sometimes of them, especially for beginners, as it's best better to stayremain simple.

Anyway, hope this will help.