The Power of Simultaneous Translation

A difficult, yet effective language learning strategy

Welcome, aspiring polyglot! In the past we have done a fair few translations here. Today I wanted to take a look at precisely how to work this exercise into your language learning routine. Every single student I work with who does this exercise excels at their target language, often far sooner than they expect to be able to speak. The reason for this is, when done correctly, your translation practice will have you hitting every element of second language acquisition.

How to set it up

When you are working to set up your translation, the first thing you need to do is find something to translate. Whether it is a song, a news article, an information article discussing one of your hobbies, a podcast, or a TV show, the one thing you will need starting out is a transcript. While the goal will always be getting to a point where you can understand and translate everything without needing to see it written down, starting out having complete transcripts is ideal.