Learning TechSpeak in a New Language? 64
dlthomas asks: "I'm a tech worker moving to a country where English is not the primary language. While I've found lots of resources for learning the language, I'm wondering what resources people know of for learning technical jargon (and any unique grammatical constructions) in languages other than English. I'm personally looking for Latin-American Spanish, but would still be interested in seeing broader discussion."
Interesting observation (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Interesting observation (Score:3, Interesting)
Portuguese/Spanish (Score:2, Informative)
I'm not absolutely sure if things in Latin America are just like in Portugal. We don't have much of our own jargon, we mainly use the English words or some simple translation/neologisms. Maybe you'll have a little more trouble with Spanish speaking people, they are very tight to their language and are known to use their own words for everything ("all" English movies have Spanish doublings).
As an example, we use Megabytes as Engl
Re:Portuguese/Spanish (Score:1)
Re:Portuguese/Spanish (Score:1)
But do you agree that you have a very close connection to your language and that it's common for you to use your own words (for most stuff, tech included)? Or is it just my stereotype that's wrong?
Re:Portuguese/Spanish (Score:1)
There's indeed an effort to castellanizar everything when possible.
Tech Taxonomy? (Score:3, Interesting)
This is true in most non-English languages, but it makes me wonder if the worldwide spread of tech calls for a standardized naming convention for technology, similar to the taxonomic system for plants and animals. Under this system, a black widow spider is "Latrodectus mactrans" no matter the local language. Ergo, a "server" might become "Servius filum" or whatever.
Re:Tech Taxonomy? (Score:1)
Re:Tech Taxonomy? (Score:1)
Re:Portuguese/Spanish (Score:2)
Re:Portuguese/Spanish (Score:2)
Anyway, I've found that the easiest way to learn is to actually just talk with someone that is native. You both end up learning things from each other.
My favorite was when a German friend asked "What did she mean when she said: I akss you that?" (ask..)
KDE's glossary (Score:5, Informative)
The KDE's Spanish Translation Team have done a very good job, take a look at their glossary: http://kurly.org/kde/glosario [kurly.org]
Re:KDE's glossary (Score:3, Funny)
* runs *
Re:KDE's glossary (Score:2)
Just the same as native English words do not have "ñ" or "ch" (being considered as a single letter in the alphabet).
Re:KDE's glossary (Score:2)
That's true for W only [buscon.rae.es]. K and Y are 'native' Spanish letters (kilo, yeso).
Re:KDE's glossary (Score:2)
Re:KDE's glossary (Score:2)
Re:KDE's glossary (Score:2)
Greek.
Latin american spanish (Score:3, Interesting)
red == network (or any old kind of net)
teclado = keyboard
ratón == mouse, but everybody I know says mouse.
tarjeta == card
disco duro == hard disk
programador == programmer
Many are obvious: Computadora, programa, cable.
Plain English ones:
hub, router, server, web, internet, dvd & cd (usually pronounced as the english letters!)
I'm sure I'll think of a bunch more right after I post this. One not really technical but odd: a VCR is (at least around here) a "vay achay" as in the spanish pronunciation of the letters V H. Similarly, a BMW is a bay emmay.
Re:Here are some.... (Score:2)
5. BSD está muriendo.
6. Primer poste.
7. Usted ha fallado.
and of course the ever useful
8. Su error lógico es que ningún residente del slashdot tiene una novia.
Re:Here are some.... (Score:1)
5. BSD is dying
6. First Post
7. You have made a mistake. (Your falt.)
8. Your mistake is that nobody on slashdot has a girlfriend.
Blake
Re:Here are some.... (Score:2)
In spanish it would be:
Le errás
o
Fallás
People (Score:4, Insightful)
Argentina (Score:3, Insightful)
Simplemente rodealos con las palabras en español apropiadas.
(for the Spanish Disabled)
If you're coming to Argentina don't worry, the technical jargon we all understand.
Just surround them with the proper spanish words
enjoy
Re:Argentina (Score:1)
Observation (Score:4, Interesting)
Just as with the 'normal' language, I learned all the tech terms by observing. After you get the basics of the language just read tech magazines or books, surf the local tech web sites, talk to computer nerds or listen to them talk. You can try visiting computer-related eshops which have pictures and just browse randomly, noticing the categories various things are listed under or descriptions given.
For example, if there is a picture of a memory module with the following description:
"ECC awoseihgna 266MHz pijsdae (aikjrst PC2100), sjlfdg 2GB."
It should be obvious that "awoseihgna" means registered, "pijsdae" means memory, "aikjrst" stands for standard or compatible, and "sjlfdg" is size or capacity. Note: sample words created by dropping hands on keyboard.
It (everything, not just the eshop thing) worked for me, and I think the talking/listening part is very important, as A) you will hear the pronunciation and B) many things have completely different 'official' and commonly used names, like box vs. computer in English but with 100:1 usage ratio.
Hope this helps.
in japan.. (Score:2)
the words are american, and they're pronounced as americans pronounce them. ever say they words "Here's my resume," "I drive a coupe," or "it is hard to fillet a fish?" If so, then you've pronounced French words in an American way. Do the same in whatever country you're travelling to (why didn't you specify, btw?) and you'll be fine.
in short: just throw the native accent on the word and you'll do fine
You, sir, are a fumirakke (Score:2)
Re:You, sir, are a fumirakke (Score:1)
something about undesireable something?
Re:in japan.. (Score:1)
just a few words that are important
wireless is actually "musen" (literally "no wire")
router is actually "ruutaa" which sounds like a type of animal that digs through roots -_-;;;
also you can refer to your wireless router as "musen kikai" ("wireless machine") but i'd prefer to use "musen ruutaa"
now the wireless signal itself is NOT "shigunaaru" but "shingo" as in traffic signal
other than that, i really can't think of any other japanese w
For Japanese... (Score:2)
interlingual glossaries (Score:2)
I'm not entirely sure if this is true in every discipline, as I can hardly be bothered to check this one, but here's a very pertinent book from Amazon [amazon.com].
Your keywords, should you choose to accept them, are : glossary, english, spanish, computer
Re:interlingual glossaries (Score:1)
Learn the Basics (Score:1)
When learning a language first work on the basics. It's a waist of time to focus on a specific area before you can even ask where the toilett is. Once you get to a certain point start reading about things that interest you (e.g. computer books or magazines). That way your reinforcing the basics while learning the terms you need. Technical writing is usually very stra
Re:Learn the Basics (Score:2)
Let me get this straight:
Yeah, right. Let me guess: you're a former TOEFL student, but staying awake in class was just too hard.
Re:Learn the Basics (Score:1)
And the reading suggestion is a step towards the goal of learning job/interest related vocab.
And if I'm a former EFL student, I sure did learn well.
Re:Learn the Basics (Score:2)
Re:Learn the Basics (Score:2)
Penninsular Spanish (Spain's) has quite a bunch of differences from Latin American Spanish. Heck, even among Latin American countries, words and phrases differ.
I'm from Mexico. Here's some examples (English/Mexico/Spain:
As you can see, we tend to keep the original English word for techn
Set Goals (Score:2, Insightful)
Another thing,
In some countries, although less in Spanish-speaking countries, you really have to watch out for people wanting to talk English with you once your Spanish gets good enough. When I first started learning German here in Berlin, I sometimes had to
Where are you going? (Score:2)
--MarkusQ
Re:Where are you going? (Score:2, Informative)
Gone through this... (Score:3, Funny)
As someone who's gone through this, I can assure you, technical language is going to be the least of your problems. I moved to France without speaking any French, and technical French was what I learned first and easiest, as there's a lot of influence from English, and it's what I used most. My French colleagues say the same thing about their English. Technical jargon is what they learned first and easiest.
Conversational language is what you'll have the most problems with. While there will be only one word for database, or network, there are three different ways to say that you're happy, or 19 different ways to express you feelings for someone.
So, to sum up... Don't sweat the small stuff, and start boning up for everything else...
So, to sum up
more french examples (Score:2, Funny)
barrapunto.com (Score:4, Informative)
A Linux/tech news and discussion site in Spanish built on Slashcode. Like
Re:barrapunto.com (Score:2, Interesting)
read bilingual materials (Score:2)
Once you've learned the basics, a good way to acquire specialized vocabulary is to read materials in the language for which English translations are available so that you can easily find out what terms mean and check your understanding. Manuals, for example, may be available both in English and in Spanish.
es_MX (Score:1)
Re:es_MX (Score:1)
YOU SIR, would get mod points from me if i had them
Tech's always speak english (Score:1)
Technical jargon is full of english keywords. (Score:2)
although sometimes is adapted into spanish forms. For example: "pen drive", "diskette", "deprecado" [from "deprecated"], "bootear" [from "to boot"], etcetera. Some words, on the other hand, have a clear corresponding word in spanish, so no one says, for example, "hard disk" for "disco duro" or "case" for "gabinete".
If you have a more than a passing grasp of spanish, you shouldn't have problems learning the technical jargon.
On the other hand, if you're coming
It certainly is a new language (Score:2)
HP Unix (Score:2)
"H" sounds like "Hah" and "P" sounds like "Pay" so you get "Hah-Pay UNIX."
--Mike
Newgroups/IRC (Score:2)
South Africa... (Score:1)
The funniest calls were from the South Africa where people say..
I can't get my Stiffy into my laptop...
I can't find my Stiffy drive...
My Stiffy is stuck in the hole...
Hehehe, i.e. Floppy Disks = Stiffy, in S. Africa, (for US people Stiffy=Boner/Hard Wood)
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