6 Coping with unfamiliar language

Developing skills to learn how to cope with unfamiliar vocabulary or unfamiliar language will help you to stay motivated when you are learning a language. You also get to enjoy watching videos and films in Spanish! Next, you are going to practise how to handle new vocabulary and everyday, colloquial language by analysing part of a video, then practising using subtitles, transcripts and shadow reading.

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You already know that Antonio Feal Dopico is 64 years old and he is from La Coruña in northern Spain. Now watch the full introduction and put the aspects of his life in the order he mentions them. That way you will focus on the gist of what he says and get an overview of the structure of his introduction without worrying about the meaning of each individual word. Despite being faced with unfamiliar vocabulary you should be able to understand the gist of what Antonio is talking about, even if it takes a few listens.

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Datos personales

Trabajo

Personalidad

Idiomas

Cambios en su vida

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In section 2 we looked at cognates as a useful starting point for dealing with unfamiliar language and expanding active vocabulary. But beware of false friends, words like the four words below that look like cognates but do in fact have different meanings.

Watch the video of Antonio in which he talks about one of his obsessions and a gift he has, and try to work out what the four words mean in English. Beware of false friends.

Then watch the video again, this time with English subtitles and check your answer against the subtitles and write down the correct translation in the table below.

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Particular
Provide your answer...
Manía
Provide your answer...
Facilidad
Provide your answer...
Idiomas
Provide your answer...

6.1 Recognising idiomatic language

Language becomes more complicated for the learner when people use day-to-day language, familiar expressions or ways of putting things that can be difficult to understand. In this section, you will practise identifying idiomatic language.

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Watch the whole video of Antonio and write down in Spanish how he expresses the following ideas.

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I retired 4 years ago Me jubilé hace 4 años
I perform the functions…
Provide your answer...
I fundamentally value affection
Provide your answer...
…gathered around a table
Provide your answer...
I have a gift for languages
Provide your answer...
I am determined to learn Chinese right now
Provide your answer...
To be born again
Provide your answer...
For a change!
Provide your answer...

6.2 Using transcripts

Transcripts are useful tools in language learning with videos. Here you will learn a technique to help your pronunciation and speaking of Spanish; later in the course you will use them again to identify features of colloquial speech to help your understanding.

Box 6: Shadow reading (1)

Shadow reading using a transcription of the words by the speakers is also a good technique to practise listening, reading and speaking. One technique you can use is this: Listen to the video material at least once to become familiar with the pronunciation and the content. When you think you are familiar with it, try to imitate the speaker by reading his or her words from the transcript. You can try to talk at the same time as the speaker, or you can wait until he or she finishes the sentence and then pause the video and read out loud what he or she said.

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Now that you have a better understanding of what Antonio says, practise shadow reading with an extract of his video. While you listen to him, read the transcript out loud, imitating Antonio's pronunciation and intonation as closely as possible.

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