Session 2, Activity 7
Activity 7 – recognising English homophones
In this activity you will look at how OMT can be used to identify language-specific features, such as homophones and heterophones. OMT can provide examples of homophones and help show how context determines the correct meaning and usage. You can also use OMT to practise distinguishing homophones through translation exercises to improve your listening and comprehension skills.
Now follow the steps below.
Step 1
Read aloud the four sentences containing English homophones below.
- Whether the weather be fine, or whether the weather be not, we’ll weather the weather, whatever the weather, whether we like it or not.
- The sun had a son who liked to play in the sun.
- The knight rode through the night.
- The son was too bright. The sun was too bright.
Step 2
Input each of the homophones into OMT for a translation into the language you are learning. Compare and analyse the original English version with the translated version.
- Are there any spelling mistakes?
- How is each homophone handled and is the meaning preserved?
Step 3
- Now translate the sentences back to English and compare with the original, i.e. compare the two English versions.
- Analyse any changes in meaning or errors that occurred.
Reflection
Are there homophones in the language you are learning or teaching?
Make a list. Then reveal the feedback below. Remember: these activities are open-ended, so you might have found different homophones.
Discussion
German
Waise (orphan) and Weise (way, manner, or wise person)
Lid (eyelid) and Lied (song)
Meer (sea) and mehr (more)
Lehre (teaching, lesson) and Leere (emptiness)
Rad (wheel) and Rat (advice or council)
Seite (side, page) and Saite (string of a musical instrument)
Hahn (rooster) and Hahn (tap)
Reis (rice) and Reiß (imperative of 'reißen' – to tear)
Bank (bank – financial institution) and Bank (bench)
Spanish
Vaca (cow) and Baca (roof rack)
Hola (hello) and Ola (wave)
votar (to vote) and botar (to throw away, to bounce)
Tubo (tube) and tuvo (had, from the verb tener)
Italian
Casa (house) and Cassa (cash register or box)
Cento (hundred) and Sento (I hear/feel)
Àncora (anchor) and Ancóra (again/still)
Capitàno (captain) and Capitano (they happen)
Often these are not written with accents, and their meaning is only clear from the context.
French
mer (sea), mère (mother), and maire (mayor)
Chinese
There are many homophones in Chinese. Here are some examples. Note how the transcription (within brackets) shows their identical pronunciation, including tone:
是 (shì) ‘to be’, 事 (shì) ‘matter, affair’, 室 (shì) ‘room’
作 (zuò) ‘work’, 做 (zuò) ‘to do’, 坐 (zuò) ‘to sit’
不 (bù) ‘not’, 部 (bù) ‘part, section’, 步 (bù) ‘step, pace’
Using machine translation to work with English homophones can be a fun and educational way to enhance your understanding of language nuances and the challenges of translation.
These activities will help you to understand the complexities of homophones and the challenges of translating them accurately using machine translation tools.
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