Session 2, Activity 1 (French)
Activity 1 French – exploring idioms through reading
Using OMT to explore idioms is an effective exercise because it helps you to see how a phrase is used in context.
Now follow the steps below.
Step 1
Read this French blog entry about interior design, which contains many idioms. You are not expected to understand everything. If you can understand the gist generally, you will be able to complete the rest of this activity.
Un chez-soi à son image: l’importance de se sentir bien chez soi
Avoir un toit sur la tête, c’est essentiel, mais transformer sa maison en un véritable cocon, c’est encore mieux! Après tout, on n’est jamais mieux que chez soi. Notre intérieur reflète notre personnalité, nos goûts et nos habitudes.
Lorsqu’on emménage dans un nouveau logement, il faut parfois du temps pour se sentir comme un poisson dans l’eau. Entre le choix des couleurs, des meubles et de la décoration, chaque détail compte. Un salon chaleureux, une cuisine conviviale ou encore une chambre douillette peuvent vraiment faire la différence.
Et puis, une maison bien organisée, c’est aussi une maison où l’on respire. Ranger comme un as de pique n’aide pas à créer une ambiance apaisante! Un bon tri et un agencement réfléchi permettent d’éviter de vivre dans un capharnaüm.
Finalement, faire de sa maison un havre de paix, c’est un investissement en bien-être. Parce que, après une longue journée, quoi de mieux que de rentrer et se sentir comme un coq en pâte?
Step 2
- Note down any possible French idioms you may have found in the text.
- Can you understand the meaning of any of the expressions? By breaking them down and using the context of the whole blog, you may already be able to guess the meaning of some of the idioms.
Step 3
Now use your chosen OMT to translate the French text into English and compare the translated text with either your own translation, or the example of a human-translated version in the reveal below.
- Are there any errors in meaning or unusual phrases in the OMT translation of the text, and specifically in the translation of the idioms?
- Can you explain the French idiomatic expressions now that you’ve seen a machine-translated version in English? Does the idiom make sense in any other language(s) you speak?
Discussion
Model human translation:
A home in one’s own image: the importance of feeling good at home
Having a roof over your head is essential, but turning your house into a true cocoon is even better! After all, there’s no place like home. Our interior reflects our personality, tastes, and habits.
When moving into a new place, it can sometimes take time to feel like a fish in water. Between choosing colors, furniture, and decorations, every detail matters. A warm living room, a friendly kitchen, or a snug bedroom can really make a difference.
And then, a well-organized home is also a home where you breathe. Tidying up like a ace of spades doesn’t help create a calming atmosphere! A good decluttering and a thoughtful layout help avoid living in a mess.
Ultimately, turning your home into a haven of peace is an investment in well-being. Because after a long day, what could be better than coming home and feeling as pampered as a rooster in dough?
Activities of this kind may help you to identify differences in accuracy, nuance and idiomatic expressions. If you are working with other learners, you can discuss why certain phrases were translated in a specific way and learn about the limitations and strengths of machine translation.
By carefully checking the accuracy of the translation, activities like this also help you to improve your proofreading and editing skills.
Step 4
Back-translation: use your chosen OMT to translate the English version back into French and then compare it with the original French text above.
Comment
Does the back-translation differ from the original version? OMT can help you to see how meaning can shift through multiple translations and emphasises the importance of context and precision in translation. This and similar activities can encourage critical thinking and deeper engagement with both the language you are learning and your first language. It can also support understanding of idiomatic language and cultural nuances, as well as enhance vocabulary and translation skills.
Extension activity
If you found this activity useful, you can create a glossary of key terms and idiomatic expressions from the text, including their translations and explanations. You can either use the box below or, if you are a signed-in Google Translate user, you can create your own glossary or vocabulary database by clicking the star to the right of your translations.
In the reveal section below you will find some sample idioms and translations from the text. You may have found different idioms or different translations to those given.
Discussion
Sample idioms with their literal and their idiomatic translation into English:
- on n’est jamais mieux que chez soi – lit: one is never better than at home / ‘there’s no place like home’.
- se sentir comme un poisson dans l’eau – to feel like a fish in water.
- ranger comme un as de pique – to tidy up like the ace of spades.
- vivre dans un capharnaüm – lit: to live in (a) Capernaum (this refers to the Biblical place Capernaum, which is associated with a chaotic, untidy place) / to live in a shambles.
- faire de sa maison un havre de paix – to make one’s home a haven of peace.
- se sentir comme un coq en pâte – lit: to feel like a rooster in dough / to feel comfortable.
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