| Pages in topic: < [1 2 3] > | Poll: Would you prefer to live in your source language or target language country? Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
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Nikki Graham 
United Kingdom
Local time: 05:08
Spanish to English
| Target better for me for professional reasons | Jun 25, 2012 |
Chris S wrote:
A no-brainer IMO
It's easier to maintain a passive knowledge of source from abroad than an active knowledge of target
[Edited at 2012-06-25 11:09 GMT]
I agree with Chris, and this is one of the main reasons I moved back to the UK after living in Spain for many years.
| | | | Ty Kendall
United Kingdom
Local time: 05:08
Hebrew to English
| I always wonder..... | Jun 25, 2012 |
About those translators who live in neither source nor target language country. For example, I stumbled upon a translator the other week who translated DE>EN (or vice versa) but he lived in Thailand. I wonder what effect that has....
| | | | Dave Bindon
Greece
Local time: 07:08
Greek to English
In memoriam
Professionally, it's much easier for me to improve my linguistic competence and cultural awareness in my source language by living here in Greece rather than the UK. I still have plenty of opportunties to 'practice' my English here. If I were living in the UK, my access to good quality Greek sources (books, newspapers, radio, TV etc.) would be extremely limited, and access to Greek conversation would be almost non-existent.
Personally, I wouldn't want to live anywhere else. This is ... See more Professionally, it's much easier for me to improve my linguistic competence and cultural awareness in my source language by living here in Greece rather than the UK. I still have plenty of opportunties to 'practice' my English here. If I were living in the UK, my access to good quality Greek sources (books, newspapers, radio, TV etc.) would be extremely limited, and access to Greek conversation would be almost non-existent.
Personally, I wouldn't want to live anywhere else. This is home. I don't even want to go back to the UK for a holiday! ▲ Collapse
| | | | Melanie Nassar
United States
Local time: 07:08
German to English
+ ...
| source lange | Jun 25, 2012 |
I would much prefer living in Germany (or Austria or Switzerland for that matter) to living in the US.
However, I am (almost) perfectly happy where I live, neither in my source nor in my target language country, and can't imagine moving again after putting down deep roots here.
To answer Ty's question (maybe he was even thinking of me), I can appreciate that even native speakers of minor languages could potentially lose fluency due to lack of use, but there is no dearth... See more I would much prefer living in Germany (or Austria or Switzerland for that matter) to living in the US.
However, I am (almost) perfectly happy where I live, neither in my source nor in my target language country, and can't imagine moving again after putting down deep roots here.
To answer Ty's question (maybe he was even thinking of me), I can appreciate that even native speakers of minor languages could potentially lose fluency due to lack of use, but there is no dearth of resources/conversation partners/passive input for English native speakers. As for my source language, I usually travel to Germany at least once a year and use German in the family in addition to reading and translating German all day long.
I just noticed that my country is listed as the United States, probably because that's where I pay the membership fees from. Actually, I haven't lived there since graduating from college and my clients are aware of that. I actually live in Bethlehem, Palestine.
[Edited at 2012-06-25 12:13 GMT] ▲ Collapse
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Thayenga
Germany
Local time: 06:08
Member (2009)
English to German
+ ...
Like (presently) 38.8 %, I'd love to live in my target language country.
However, the pros of staying where I am (Germany) outrun the cons, so that I won't be going anywhere.
One's got to be realistic about the various facettes of one's living conditions. Although I'd love to live in the USA, there are a few important aspects that make a relocation impossible - at least for the time being.
| | | | Ty Kendall
United Kingdom
Local time: 05:08
Hebrew to English
| KKastenhuber
Austria
Local time: 06:08
Russian to German
+ ...
I think for professional reasons it would make sense to live in source language country. I do agree that it's hard to keep one's L1 at a high level when one is abroad though, so I sort of understand the opposite argument as well.
I voted "other" because I can only see myself living in one of my source languages' countries (Spain and/or Latin America) and not the other (Russian speaking countries). I love both Russia and Belarus, the only countries I've been to where Russian is spok... See more I think for professional reasons it would make sense to live in source language country. I do agree that it's hard to keep one's L1 at a high level when one is abroad though, so I sort of understand the opposite argument as well.
I voted "other" because I can only see myself living in one of my source languages' countries (Spain and/or Latin America) and not the other (Russian speaking countries). I love both Russia and Belarus, the only countries I've been to where Russian is spoken, and am looking forward to visiting again, but living in Russia for 6 months - although I did enjoy it most of the time - was kind of enough for me. ▲ Collapse
| | | | | Language fade | Jun 25, 2012 |
I don't think it's underexposure to the target language that is the problem so much as overexposure to the source language.
The most common fault I see in translations produced abroad is not failure to acquire slang and idioms in the target language but subconscious acceptance of source-language grammar, structures, idioms etc.
Of course, this is also a problem for those living in the target country, but less so.
Thing is, those affected generally aren't a... See more I don't think it's underexposure to the target language that is the problem so much as overexposure to the source language.
The most common fault I see in translations produced abroad is not failure to acquire slang and idioms in the target language but subconscious acceptance of source-language grammar, structures, idioms etc.
Of course, this is also a problem for those living in the target country, but less so.
Thing is, those affected generally aren't aware of it ▲ Collapse
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Helen Hagon
Local time: 05:08
Member (2011)
Russian to English
+ ...
I live in my target language country, UK, mainly for family reasons. Each day little things remind me how valuable it is to be immersed in the target language. However, it is also important to keep up to date with source languages and I do try to go to my source language countries as often as possible. France is easier than Russia, especially with children, but I am currently on the lookout for an excuse to head east again. Perhaps with less family ties I might lead a more nomadic existence,... See more I live in my target language country, UK, mainly for family reasons. Each day little things remind me how valuable it is to be immersed in the target language. However, it is also important to keep up to date with source languages and I do try to go to my source language countries as often as possible. France is easier than Russia, especially with children, but I am currently on the lookout for an excuse to head east again. Perhaps with less family ties I might lead a more nomadic existence, but I would probably always end up coming back home to England. ▲ Collapse
| | | | | I don't mind | Jun 25, 2012 |
I moved back to Spain just over a year ago after living for 10 years in the UK and therefore most of my "independent adult life". Keeping up with my native language, watching TV, reading newspapers etc., was never a problem but when I first arrived to Spain I felt like a teeneger.
While I knew how to open a back account, do my taxes or how to address certain situations in the UK I had no clue how to do this "everyday" things in my own country.
I am catching up but I no... See more I moved back to Spain just over a year ago after living for 10 years in the UK and therefore most of my "independent adult life". Keeping up with my native language, watching TV, reading newspapers etc., was never a problem but when I first arrived to Spain I felt like a teeneger.
While I knew how to open a back account, do my taxes or how to address certain situations in the UK I had no clue how to do this "everyday" things in my own country.
I am catching up but I notice it takes me a lot longer to write in English. I speak English at home everyday, my husband is Scottish, but I do not use my writing skills in English nowhere near as much as when I was in the UK.
I guess a possible solution woul be 50-50 as Angus said. ▲ Collapse
| | | | | Well, Ibsen wrote his best work while living abroad | Jun 25, 2012 |
so first language attrition is certainly not always an impediment -despite physical location.
However, I must say I laugh a bit when I read these poll questions. By the description it seems like living in another country than your target language country, is something along the lines of being abducted by aliens and the dropped "somewhere" alone.
For most of us who have families, the "local" language situation can be very different from a general description of the language m... See more so first language attrition is certainly not always an impediment -despite physical location.
However, I must say I laugh a bit when I read these poll questions. By the description it seems like living in another country than your target language country, is something along the lines of being abducted by aliens and the dropped "somewhere" alone.
For most of us who have families, the "local" language situation can be very different from a general description of the language milieu where we live.
As a freelancer working from my home, I find that at times when I work under pressure, days can pass without speaking much English at all. I speak Italian to my husband, and despite this being my fourth language, there's not even much fourth-language attrition happening.
I speak Norwegian to my daughters, my sister and to several colleagues every day, in addition to listening to Norwegian radio and reading Norwegian books.
When I return to Norway in the summer, I do not feel like the language has evolved without me.
Probably the situation would be different if I didn't speak the language every day, but that is not the case.
What I do realize, is that it probably would have been a professional advantage to live in my target country in order to be able to move into the field I really want to work in - which is literary translation.
[Edited at 2012-06-25 13:54 GMT]
[Edited at 2012-06-25 13:55 GMT]
[Edited at 2012-06-25 14:00 GMT] ▲ Collapse
| | | | Erik Matson
Thailand
Local time: 11:08
English to Norwegian
+ ...
USA vs. Norway ... after almost 20 years in the United States, I've had enough and choose Norway.
[Edited at 2012-06-25 15:35 GMT]
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Mario Chavez (X)
Local time: 00:08
English to Spanish
+ ...
| One or the other, depending on circumstances | Jun 25, 2012 |
Thanks, Ty!
I studied English since childhood in my native country in South America (why are we using academic language, such as source or target language, anyways?). I moved to America in my late twenties to pursue this career of mine (translator, of course!). Fifteen years later (in 2005), I went back to Argentina ("source language" country) for two years. The best change for me because:
a) I refreshed my Spanish (a local friend told me I had started to speak proper S... See more Thanks, Ty!
I studied English since childhood in my native country in South America (why are we using academic language, such as source or target language, anyways?). I moved to America in my late twenties to pursue this career of mine (translator, of course!). Fifteen years later (in 2005), I went back to Argentina ("source language" country) for two years. The best change for me because:
a) I refreshed my Spanish (a local friend told me I had started to speak proper Spanish after 6 months)
b) I renewed my collection of dictionaries (I can't find certain bilingual specialized dictionaries in America)
c) I renewed my familial and friendship ties
d) I enjoyed great food and a wonderful vacation in Ushuaia (that's the southernmost city in South America before Antarctica)
Years later (2010), I tried to do the same thing but I cut my experiment short four months after my arrival for a number of reasons, not the least the air of uncertainty and the sweeping inflation in the country. And the decreasing lack of personal security (I was never mugged there, but who knows?).
I came back to America swearing not to live in Argentina again. From a professional standpoint, it is more complicated to live there (ever heard of getting a collateral certificate to rent an apartment? They do it in Brazil, Spain and Portugal, I hear); I have zero clients in Argentina (they can't pay my rates), and never mind thinking about repairing or replacing any of my computers. With the current restrictions in imports these days, it would be impossible.
So, now I'm back in my "target language" country. Many professional advantages...although I wish I lived in Canada for the universal health care system (or scheme, as you Brits surely call it).
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| | | | Ty Kendall
United Kingdom
Local time: 05:08
Hebrew to English
Hege Jakobsen Lepri wrote:
I must say I laugh a bit when I read these poll questions, and it seems in some way living in another country than your target language country is something along the lines of being abducted by aliens and the dropped "somewhere".
I think it might depend on the country/language. There are still places on Earth where access to English is not as easy as you would imagine. I know that's not the case in a lot of places and I agree that it does take determination and perserverance to maintain both source and target languages whichever country you find yourself in.
| | | | | Is it serious, doctor? | Jun 25, 2012 |
I now live in neither source- nor target-language country.
Before that, I lived in target, then source, then quasi-target.
All in all, no preference.
France for its wine and Britain for its pubs, maybe.
Philippe
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