Category: General Languages

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Learning Latin with Jesse!

Today we’re chatting with Jesse, resident Latin tutor extraordinaire! From graffiti and translation to declensions and puns, Jesse describes the Latin tutor life at Reed. 

H: Could you say a few things about yourself (major, interests, etc.) and how long you’ve been studying your language? 

J: I am a Comp Lit major, and a Latin minor. I have been taking Latin since I started at Reed, and I love learning other languages. It’s so enjoyable to learn how a language works. I guess I should mention I’m from Philadelphia. I took French in high school, which is actually part of the reason I ended up taking Latin here; I’d never taken Latin before Reed, it wasn’t offered at my high school. My OWL recommended it to me as the intersection between history, English, and literature.

H: You said you enjoy learning other languages; are there any in particular you have in mind? 

J: I’ve studied Italian, which I will be forever mournful is not taught at Reed. 

H: How did you start to learn your language? 

J: First semester Latin at Reed was very technical,  and very different from learning any other language. I had never learned a language with declensions or Subject – Object – Verb order before, and I really began to enjoy it. It was a little bit of a puzzle. 

H: What resources would you recommend to students? 

J: I have two sets of recommendations: 1) Reed is a lot of grammar and fast — I would say use Anki for digital flashcards,  and Logeion, which is an online compilation of 7 Latin dictionaries.  2) Reading adapted Latin texts at an appropriate level. I understand why there’s not as much of that when taking Latin as compared to other language courses here; that’s the difference between teaching ancient & modern at Reed. But I would say it’s very beneficial.  

H: Do you have a favourite work in your language? 

J: I was actually dreading this question. For my all-time favorite, I would say Ovid’s Metamorphoses —  it’s confusing, it’s violent, it’s hard to make good sense of, it’s very difficult all around. Maybe that’s why I like it so much. But I suppose the work that I enjoyed the most was Catullus 63; it’s a tender poem, and different from a lot of his other works. 

H: What’s something you find interesting about your language? It could be a favorite word, grammar concept, or anything else.

J: I found Latin graffiti in Pompeii very interesting, and they teach some of it in Latin 101. Looking at the graffiti for the first time is like going from reading only Shakespeare to jumping on Twitter — you can actually see Latin as emerging from individuals, and not as just a dead construct or a set of rules. As for a favorite word, I guess I’ll say quaecumque; it means whichever, but it sounds ridiculous, and I guess that’s enough for me.

(Many good Latin jokes were exchanged)

H: What has your experience been like as a tutor? 

J: It’s really nice, actually. I’ve really enjoyed helping students. I’m also  the department assistant, so I get to feel nostalgia for being in the classroom again. When I took Latin 111, I really thought I would be trapped in the forest of the Latin textbook forever—no light, no way out, about to die—but now I’m out, so I can look back on it fondly.

H: What current class are you enjoying the most? 

J: Right now, I would say Russian 370, Literary Translation with Ivan Sokolov  — it’s an amazing class. The works that we study are just fascinating. We’re looking at a lot of interesting theorists and works, and we get to work on our own projects. 

H: That sounds wonderful. I just wanted to mention that you’ve been very helpful for me as well as other students in finding Latin resources, and I’ve really enjoyed talking to you.

If you would like to talk to Jesse in person, swing by the Language Lab any old Wednesday from 6-8 pm when he’s tutoring Latin.

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Daniel Hahn’s “If This Be Magic: The Unlikely Art of Shakespeare in Translation” and My Profit On’t

My personal favorite jacket for the book; would you say these people are about to “kiss by th’book”?

Surprising as it may sound for someone who is in the ongoing process of learning 4 different languages (yes, I’m counting my native English) and “plays o’ th’ viol-de-gamboys” (that’s Twelfth Night for you), I’ve always been daunted by the prospect of learning individual characteristics of a language that I’m not currently studying. I’ve had to memorize the trees before I can even start looking at the forest. So when I saw the latest addition to my local library’s catalogue, Daniel Hahn’s If This Be Magic: The Unlikely Art of Shakespeare in Translation, I was intrigued and yet daunted. We’re old buds, the Bard and I, and I wanted to hear him speak in other tongues; but how was I supposed to appreciate the travails of translating Shakespeare into Turkish? One curious look later, and I was standing next to the bookstand reading about how to treat Mark Antony’s prophecy that the spirit of Caesar will “cry havoc and let slip the dogs of war” (Julius Caesar 3.1. 280), when the nearest equivalent to the exclamation “havoc” in Portuguese is devastaçao, a word with an inconveniently large syllable count for a twelve-syllable sentence.

As a native Portuguese speaker and professional translator, Hahn may appreciate Antony’s use of matança in that particular translation, but he doesn’t know most of the featured languages, so he has to rely mostly on his colleagues from around the world and linguistic detective work such as noticing visual and vocal patterns in the translated text to understand and enjoy the translations. Since Hahn isn’t telling one story, each chapter is relatively stand-alone, only connected by how they bring up some of the literary, linguistic, and social components that make Shakespeare, well, Shakespeare. Each section has a certain topic, such as verse, alliteration, metaphor, rhyme, or humor, and each topic is allocated several examples from distinct languages. Hahn shares corresponding anecdotes, translation histories, and personal opinions on relevant topics in his field such as ‘fidelity’, ‘“literal” translation’, and of course, what kind of process translation really is.

In particular, I feel like his analogy of translation (itself a borrowed analogy), as a body that renews millions of cells over so and so many years’ time while remaining the same creature, is one that cuts to the quick of debates over the goal of translating creative literature. An instruction manual may be appropriately reduced to simply informing about a subject, but a play may involve poetry or prose, comedy or tragedy, songs and music, and a bevy of spoken and embodied devices that may shun even giving information at all for the sake of an effect. Honoring the writer/playwright involves recognizing what choices were made to achieve that effect and recreating them in the target language. And sometimes, in the case of works in Early Modern English, the target language is Modern English!

But I can’t cover all of the points Hahn makes, so I highly recommend you read his book and learn a little more about translation, especially if you enjoy Shakespeare’s plays or sonnets. Even if you find the Bard hard to understand or enjoy, I would still say check it out. Hahn’s writing is really approachable, and he doesn’t usually expect the reader to know the entire scene, play, or stanza that he covers, just as he doesn’t expect you to recognize all of the languages at play. Whether you go through the whole book front to cover or flip to a random chapter like I did, I’m sure you can delight in multicultural, multilingual Shakespeare.

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Meet Reed!

We asked Reed, our beloved Spanish tutor, a couple of questions about language acquisition, how he came to become a tutor and what kind of advice he would give for beginner students.

  1. When did your interest in your language start? 

My first language is Spanish! Both of my parents are from Argentina, and my mom is a Spanish teacher, so there was no way for me to get out of learning Spanish.

2. How did you decide to become a tutor?

I was a tutor in high school, and I really enjoyed getting to help other students. Additionally, I really enjoy a lot of the readings and movies watched for Spanish classes here, and it’s fun to get to talk about with other students.

3. What’s your favorite/heart-warming memory about either being a tutor or learning your language of interest? 

It’s always fun when you get to see a student have that ‘aha!’ moment, where everything suddenly clicks. Also to hear other people like your favorite authors or movies!

4. What advice would you give to folks who are just starting to learn the language you’re tutoring?

Spanish is a language made up of a lot of rules and grammar that we don’t have in English! That’s part of the fun. Focusing on grammar can be a bit taxing sometimes, but it’s such a representative way of how the language works and how people express themselves, it’s worth it in the end.

5. Favorite/fun fact about the language you’re tutoring?

Spanish has over 15 past tenses, future tenses that don’t exist in English, and a bunch of other ‘modes’ that make the language a lot more expressive than English. Also, it’s more compact. Verb can carry a lot of meaning beyond just the action that is being done. It can carry the tense, who is doing the action, and who is receiving the action

Reed tutors Spanish every Wednesday from 6-8pm! Come by to learn, do homework or simply chat 🙂

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Fall music must-listens!

Despite rising temperatures and rather sunny days, LangLabbies are still feeling the fall spirit approaching! In honor of our upcoming event we decided to share some of music recommendations that we believe would amplify your fall and help unwind from these academic routines

  1. Send the pain below (Chevelle)

A traditional post-grunge and alternative metal, anything rock has become the fall anthem with its gloomy undertones yet loud lyrics. “Send the pain below” is undoubtedly Chevelle’s most beloved song, so it’s a must to give it a try!

2. Ozin Gana (Moldanazar)

A soft, lyrical and bone-crushing melody that’s is the total opposite of most songs in this list but perhaps it’s exactly what we all need in this cold weather full of dark days. A perfect song for slow mornings or cozy nights with barely noticeable notes of Turkic vocals.

3. Прочь из моей головы (Сплин)

The anthem of post-modern Russian rock that dominated the late 2000s and became a cult classic for all listeners of post-Soviet countries. The uncertainty of one’s future mixed in with a strong sense of hope and full acceptance and embracement of the state of the country is what made “Прочь из моей головы” such a popular hit for most teenagers and young adults of the former-USSR.

4. CORALINE (Måneskin)

Do we even need an explanation? It’s Måneskin! Just go ahead and play it.

5. La llorona (Chavela Vargas)

La llorona is the most famous Hispanic folklore character. If you want to learn more about it (in Spanish!) come to our event on October 8th from 6-8pm! More details in the next blog post!

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Let’s Get Spooky!

Remember: Feed the lantern!

Are you terrified of the encroaching darkness? Or perhaps you find Fall Break a week too long to wait for fun?

Then come on down to the Language Lab for our Spooky Craft Night!
Join your fellow peers and LangLabbies in making paper lanterns (supplies provided) to decorate your room and maybe learn a little about other spooky traditions around the world. And of course, help yourself to some cozy snacks!

When? October 8, 6:00-8:00 pm
Where? Language Lab, Library LL1

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You, yes, you, can go abroad!

It’s no secret that immersion is one of the most helpful methods to learning a language, and what better way to immerse yourself in your target language than spending time abroad?

Though it might be scary to think about going to a country you’ve never been to before and that speaks a language you aren’t as familiar with, never fear! Reed has many opportunities (and information on so many more) to get out there, see the world, and learn.

Continue reading “You, yes, you, can go abroad!”
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Media Resource Recommendation

Long ago in my salad days at high school, I remember using tv5monde for outside practice after I had watched all the French films my library had to offer (alas, not that many). Although you now need a subscription to tv5monde to watch shows, tv5monde edu and tv5monde info remain wholly accessible online for free; no subscription needed to engage your French. Additionally, its lessons are separated into several levels ranging from beginner (débutant) to advanced (avancé), so you can find exercises suited to you. And not all of the activities are multiple-choice blank fill-ins; little puzzles are thrown in to mix it up! My favorite part about the network is that it maintains an international focus, covering events around the world, especially, of course, francophone countries.

Whether you’re looking for news or try finding a new edutainment medium, check out the website!

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Leilani’s final blog post… it’s been a good run!

Dearest Language Lab,

It is so sad to see you go… or me go? Perhaps I’m glad and relieved that I’m graduating. I will sincerely miss this basement, with its lack of sunlight and abundance of candy. Before I leave, I would like to impart some sage wisdom (thank you Patricio for the inspiration) from someone who has taken an unreasonable number of language courses and still wants to learn more.

Continue reading “Leilani’s final blog post… it’s been a good run!”
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Writing entire papers in French… yet struggling with small talk?

Truthfully, the idea for this blog post came from my own experiences from learning French as a second language. I noticed that I could speak and write fine in my academic work, but when it came time to engage with small talk or casual conversation, I felt like a mess! There seemed to be some kind of gap between my proficiency in formal situations versus that in informal situations. On the flip side, I noticed that my peers who were heritage learners—students who learned French at home as a child, not academically as an adult—seemed to flourish in small talk, but appeared to struggle more with formal academic contexts. These questions made me curious about how L2 learners versus heritage learners approached their target language, depending on linguistic register—language used in a particular setting or context. This post is a bit more technical than the usual television recommendation, but hopefully, you’ll learn something new about how our environments affect the way we speak!

Continue reading “Writing entire papers in French… yet struggling with small talk?”
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The short and bright life of Shokan Valikhanov

Shokan was famously “besties” with Dostoevsky sparking rumors about their homoertoic relationships.

Shokan Valikhanov the father of modern Kazakh history and ethnography and simultaneously the most-known Kazakh scholar, ethnographer, historian. As a Russian Imperial officer, he explored Central Asia, mapping regions like Kashgar and recording significant cultural, geographic, and historical data while advocating for his people which didn’t save him from being a target of post-colonial criticism. Lang Labbies are starting our weekly rubric of “not-so-Russian-Russian literature” focusing on literature written in Russian by not necessarily Russian personas.

Shokan Valikhanov was born in Kostanay, Eastern Kazakhstan and spent his youth in his father’s traditional nomadic yurt. Shokan’s family was very respected by the government of the Russian Empire, and Walikhanov’s father was awarded, during his life, six appointments as senior Sultan of Kushmurun region. Born into privelege, Shokan raveled extensively in Central Asia in the late 1850s after having graduated from the military academy in Omsk.

Walikhanov collected materials on Kazakh judicial practices in 1863. This was part of a government-backed project given by Duhamel, and led to the 1864 Memorandum on Judicial Reform. In 1864, Shoqan was assigned to help with Colonel Cherniaev’s continued conquest of Central Asia. Cherniaev’s forces marched west from the fortress of Vernoe (modern-day Almaty). Chernaiev advanced towards the Khanate of Kokand, planning to attack the fort at Aulie-Ata (modern-day Taraz). Shoqan unsuccessfully pushed for a negotiated result without violence. 

Young Valikhanov was a big proponent of Westernization although was critiqued by his fellow ethnographers for “playing the double game” due to his primarily russian education and deep friendship with writers such as Fyedor Dostoevsky.

In spite of it, Shokan remained the face of Kazakh intelligentsia — his early death at just 29 years old left a large hole in the history of Kazakh ethnography written in Russian. One of Shokan works (in both Russian and English) I would recommend to our readers is “Chinese Turkestan and Dzungaria: Walikhanov and other Russian travellers”, The Russians in Central Asia, London, Edward Stanford, 1865.