24 de agosto, SPA 214
Preface to the student
This book was written to address a problem that we have observed in our classes. As advanced students use Spanish more and more, they often find that there are choices—about grammar and about vocabulary—that they simply do not know how to make. It is sometimes possible to sidestep these choices by saying things in a different way, but this avoidance can produce big gaps in knowledge and fluency. If the problem described here is your problem, En otras palabras is for you.
You have already spent a lot of time studying grammar and vocabulary. This book approaches these topics in a different way, by asking you to observe, and then to translate, words and structures that are characteristic of Spanish. By observing, you will lay the foundation for paying attention to the details of what you hear and read, which is the basis of high-level fluency. By translating, you will practice manipulating what you have observed.
En otras palabras contains two kinds of translation texts: Spanish texts to be translated into English, and English texts to be translated into Spanish. Translating into English requires you to understand every word of the Spanish original, and then to decide how best to express it in English. Translating into Spanish requires that you use structures and words that are parallel to the English originals, and therefore prevents you from avoiding them. Both kinds of translation are useful.
Becoming a translator requires intensive training, and spending a semester with this book will not make you a professional translator. But it will make you aware of things you did not know, and it will provide you with interesting opportunities to improve your Spanish. We hope you enjoy the book.