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Ignition Learning — Activity Sheet

Translating & comparing languages

Languages · Year 7

Name: ______________________Date: ____________

Translating between English and your target language is a great way to notice how languages work differently — word order, idioms, and expressions rarely translate word-for-word. Pick a short passage (3-4 sentences) in English and translate it into your target language, or vice versa. When you hit a phrase that doesn't translate directly — like an idiom or expression — think about what the closest equivalent meaning would be, rather than translating it literally. This one is a self-directed activity, not a quiz — so there are no questions to answer on screen. Note down one thing you noticed about how the two languages are structured differently. Mark this complete once you've translated your passage.

Example

The English expression 'it's raining cats and dogs' doesn't translate literally into most languages — a good translator looks for an equivalent expression that means 'raining heavily' in the target language, rather than translating each word.

Key terms

Idiom:: An expression whose meaning isn't obvious from its individual words (like "raining cats and dogs").
Literal translation:: Translating word-for-word, which doesn't always capture the real meaning.

This topic is self-directed and doesn't have quiz questions.