What is back translation exercise (BTE)?

[유진승]

What is back translation exercise (BTE)?

BTE starts with an English text and comes back to it. That"s why it is called "back translation".

To explain, an English text of an excellent writing standard is chosen as an original text, and translated into Korean task sentences for students. Students make their own translation of the task sentences and then study by comparing their translation with the original text, guided by the explanations in the Answer.

Advantages of BTE and free essays

With BTE, since the original texts are high-standard writings, you can learn accurate and high-level English expressions and writing styles. And the Answer will help you understand accurate meaning and detailed nuance of difficult words and expressions in the texts.

With free essays, you tend to avoid expressions that are difficult for your present level. But with BTE, you are forced to tackle difficult and challenging expressions, which will take you a step beyond your present level of expressive power. (free essay를 쓸 때는 자신의 현재 영어표현력의 한계를 넘는 고급 수준의 내용은 주로 피하게 된다. 그러나 BTE를 통해 주어지는 수준 높고 때로운 어려운 내용들을 영역해 봄으로써 자신의 한계를 뛰어 넘는 표현력을 기를 수 있다)

In BTE you start with Korean. This can be a help and a problem. On the helpful side, you can understand the difference between natural Korean writing style and natural English writing style, and this can help correct your Konglish habbit, which makes you produce an English sentence that literally copies a Korean style of speech.

But the problem of starting with Korean is that you depend on Korean to write English. You first think up an idea in Korean, and then try to transfer it into English bit by bit. But your final goal should be to become able to bypass Korean, starting your thoughts in English and writing directly from English. For this, you should speak and write English regularly (free essays, free talks), trying to think and organize your ideas directly in English.

Hence, BTE and essays have their own advantages and disadvantages, while compensating for each other"s drawbacks. So in the learning stage they should go hand in hand.

Participation (old)

All members have reading access to [Back translation exercise], and only full members have reading/writing access. Thus, everybody can participate by reading through the material, and in addition full members can submit their translation of a Task sentence as a tail note (꼬리글). For a detailed guideline on participation, see the "Tips and Guidelines" in [Back translation exercise].

APPENDIX: Choosing original texts

Here, I would like to discuss the original texts for BTE.

Listed below under "Prepared" are the texts for which task sentences are prepared and which have been used in my previous lessons. The ones under "Potential" are secured both in English and Korean, and yet the Korean translation has not been refined as task paragraphs.

You can voice your opinions about these materials, and also suggest new ones that interest you. If possible, tell us why you like it and how it relates to your own direction of study.

But your suggestions cannot be taken automatically. If they are too technical (including many specialized terms), too literary or imaginative (containing many artistic or subjective expressions), or too easy or difficult, then they are not suitable for study. So the the main genre of choice would be non-fiction (시사, 논술, 수필).

Prepared
Stephen Covey, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People
Samuel Huntington, The Clash of Civilizations
Bill Gates, The Speed of Thought
Paul Krugman, The Return of Depression Economics
Dertouzous, What Will Be
Bill Clinton"s address to the nation on Kosovo bombing (1999)
Washington Times on North Korea (1999)
Readers" Digest on raising successful children

Potential
Churchill"s war speech
MacArthur, Old Soldiers Never Die
Kennedy"s inaugural speech
Martin Luther King"s peaceful march speech
Ronald Reagan on crisis of communism
Kirkpatrick on democrats" hypocrisy
Chomsky, Deep Concerns (on Iraqi war)

New interests
Hillary Clinton, It Takes a Village
Hillary Clinton, Living History  
Grey, Men Are from Mars, and Women Are from Venus 

[kimsmile05]

흠, BTE 좋은 appoach 네요 ...