Lesson video

Hi there, my name is Mr. Charlesworth, and in today's reading lesson we're developing our reading preferences through text recommendations.

In today's lesson, we'll be exploring texts in translation as well as how reading can be considered a gift, looking at festivities that involve books.

I'm really looking forward to the lesson, hope you are too.

Let's get started.

The lesson outcome for today is I can make recommendations to other readers.

The keywords are, my turn, your turn, translation.

Translator.

Reader preference.

Recommendation.

Let's try those once more, translation.

Translator.

Reader preference.

Recommendation.

Well done.

Translation is converting text from one language to another while preserving the meaning and style.

A translator is the person responsible for converting content between languages.

A reading preference can include what we read and where we read.

A recommendation is a suggestion for a text that is well suited to a reader's age and their interests.

Don't worry if there's any keywords that you're not sure about.

We'll be exploring these throughout the lesson.

In today's lesson, we're developing reading preferences through text recommendations.

We're going to begin by exploring texts in translation in "Reading the world" before then moving on to "Reading as a gift." This is where we'll look at festivities and celebrations linked to books.

Let's get started by looking at texts in translation.

Texts in translation are important to read for pleasure.

They offer us a passport to the literary world, granting access to a vast and diverse array of stories and ideas.

Translated texts provide us with an opportunity to explore different cultures, experiences, and worldviews that we might not encounter in texts originally written in our native language.

That's sometimes called our home language, the language we communicate in most often.

There are a wide range of different texts from a wide range of countries.

We'll be exploring a few today.

One of my favourite translated texts is "The Lion and the Bird." It's been originally translated from French.

It's a fantastic story, I hope you'll explore it.

Reading translated texts can expand our cultural and historical horizons.

They can immerse us in the lives and experiences of people from different backgrounds.

This can lead to a more empathetic outlook on the world.

Empathy is all about understanding what it might be like to be in someone else's shoes, to see the world through their eyes.

Translated texts set in a historical context can offer readers a difference in perspective.

These four texts do exactly that.

The two on the left, "The Pebble" and "I Saw a Beautiful Woodpecker," are set during the Second World War and explore a range of perspectives.

"The King of Birds" and "Arabic Folktales" explore a range of different stories from other cultures.

These have been translated from Russian and Arabic.

Translated texts can come from anywhere in the world, including Brazil with "Along the Tapajos," Argentina from "When You Look Up," "The Moon of Kiev," which was written originally in Italian, and "I Am the Subway" which is written and set in South Korea.

Reading a range of texts from around the world is a really useful way to widen your reading horizons.

Perhaps you could challenge yourself to read a text from every country.

Here's our first check for understanding, true or false.

Translated texts can support readers in developing empathy with the wider world.

Is that true or false? Pause the video now whilst you decide.

Well done, it's true.

Now I'd like you to justify your answer.

Is it because, A, translated texts can immerse readers in the lives and experiences of people from different backgrounds? Or B, translated texts can come from anywhere in the world? Which answer best thinks back to the original statement? Pause the video now whilst you decide.

Well, you're correct, it's A.

Translated texts can immerse readers in the lives and experiences of people from different backgrounds.

Whilst translated texts can come from anywhere in the world, in terms of developing empathy, it's important that readers get a viewpoint and experience life from someone else's perspective.

Translators play a crucial role in fostering the love of reading and learning in children by making literature from other cultures and languages accessible to them.

Well done for noticing one of our keywords.

There are a range of texts have been translated.

Here are five more examples.

They range from translations from French, Bengali, to Swedish.

Also, these texts come in a range of different forms. The first one, "Saving Celeste," is an illustrated chapter book.

"Floating Words" is a poetry collection.

"Jane, the Fox & Me," a graphic novel.

"The Bird Within Me," a beautiful picture book.

And "A Is for Bee," a non-fiction information text all about the alphabet in translation.

There are wide range of texts available in translation.

I hope you're looking forward to exploring more.

When translating texts, there are lots of considerations to be made.

Translators have to adapt the content in a way that makes it accessible and engaging for the reader.

Well done on noticing one of our keywords.

Translators should not only accurately convey the meaning of the source text, but they should also consider the purpose of the text, figurative language and expressions.

These can include simile, metaphor, and also some idioms. Emotions, the intended audience, the cultural context of the text, and the reader's experience.

As you can see, translators have a lot of things to consider when translating a text.

In this example, "The Distance Between Me and the Cherry Tree," the translators had to translate over 220 pages.

The text itself focuses on the experience of a character who has a degenerative eye condition, so it's vital that the translator ensures that no meaning is lost and that any emotions and empathy is retained.

Now it's onto our next check for understanding.

The role of the translator is to, A, change the text's plot and characters; B, convey the same emotions of the original text; C, ensure figurative language and expressions provide similar meanings; or D, censor certain sections of the text.

Have a think.

Which of these apply to the role of the translator? Perhaps there's more than one.

Pause the video now while you decide.

Well done, it's B and C.

Translators try to convey the same emotions of the original text as best they can, and they ensure figurative language and expressions provide similar meanings.

Sometimes this isn't always possible as there are some words that aren't translatable, but they try their best to ensure the imagery remains the same.

Translators do not change the text's plot and characters.

They try to keep it as similar to the original source material as possible, and they definitely don't censor certain sections of the text.

That's a discussion with the author and the editor.

Knowing where to find texts in translation can be quite a challenging task.

As the world has got more connected, there are more opportunities for readers to explore texts in translation.

I wonder, how is it possible to discover these texts? Have a chat with your talk partner.

Where do you think you might go to discover new texts in translation? Pause the video now whilst you discuss the question.

Great work, there are lots of different places or people we can go to for recommendations, and there are a few that are specific to translated texts.

Let's have a look at some examples.

You could go to a school or local library.

You could look online through book reviews or book blogs.

You could research international publishers who publish a range of texts in lots of different languages.

You could find translated texts at children's literature festivals.

Asking in your local bookshop.

And finally, looking at diverse book awards and book lists.

Translated texts can be on a range of different forms and cover a wide variety of different genres.

Well remembered, the form is how a text is presented, and the genre is a type or category of text.

Translated texts can take the form of graphic novels, such as "The Legend of Sally Jones," a prequel of sorts to "The Murderer's Ape." It can also take the form of picture books, such as "Magic Candies," a really surreal and inventive story with almost photorealistic style.

Finally, translated texts can also take the form of poetry, such as "The Noisy Classroom." This is a great collection for exploring the different types of children that you might find in a classroom.

It has universal themes which anyone can identify with and was originally translated from Latvian.

Here's our next check for understanding.

Can you name three places or people that you can go to to discover texts in translation? Have a think back to what we've just learned.

Pause the video now whilst you note down three places or people that you might go to to discover new texts in translation.

Fantastic work, there are lots of places you can go to to discover texts in translation, such as a school or local library, online via book reviews or book blogs, by researching international publishers, finding out about texts in translation at children's literature festivals, asking at your local bookshop, and also looking at diverse book awards and book lists, some especially published to celebrate texts in translation.

In our first task, I'd like you to explore texts that have been translated from different countries in the world.

Look at the world map and choose three countries.

An atlas or reference text might also help here.

In the task, I'd like you to find three texts that have been translated on this country, or find three texts that are set in this country.

You can do this by exploring the range of different places you can go to to find translated texts.

Publishers' websites and websites that celebrate translated texts are a great place to start.

Pause the video now while you research your three texts.

Great work, I hope you enjoyed researching texts in translation.

I wonder which country you selected.

Here are a few questions to reflect upon.

Which texts did you discover that were translated from this country? Did you find any texts that were set in that country? And does your text celebrate another language or culture? Pause the video whilst you have a think.

Well done.

Finally, I'd like you to share one of your texts with a friend.

Pause the video now whilst you do so.

We're now going to explore how reading can be considered a gift, both in the physical sense, physically giving something to somebody else, but also in the emotional sense too.

Text recommendations are an important part of developing reading for pleasure.

There are several benefits to giving and receiving recommendations.

Well done for spotting our keyword.

Recommendations can expand our reading choices.

They can develop our interests, promote diversity in both text type, text content, and the author, illustrator, and translator who created them.

Text recommendations can also spark curiosity, making us curious about the wider world.

They can allow us to deepen our discussions around texts, and they can ensure we stay updated with all the new releases.

Sharing texts in this way can encourage us to read beyond our initial reading preferences.

This means our reading preferences don't stay the same, they're always changing and evolving.

Sharing in our reading is a positive experience.

It can be seen as a gift.

It allows readers to stimulate creativity and imagination, escape and entertain.

That's how some texts can sometimes transport us out of the place where we're reading and into the world of the book.

Reading can also allow us to empathise and understand others and different perspectives.

It can help us develop our knowledge and learning.

It can inspire and motivate us.

And finally, reading can be considered a gift by texts being able to connect readers to each other through their shared love of reading.

There are many festivities and traditions around the world that are celebrated for a wide range of reasons.

One that links particularly well with texts is Jolabokaflod, also known as the Christmas Book Flood.

It's an Icelandic holiday tradition which has roots in the Second World War when Iceland was cut off from the rest of the world and paper was one of the few commodities not in short supply.

Jolabokaflod is typically celebrated on the 24th of December.

In early November, the Icelandic Publishers Association release a book bulletin which lists all the texts that have been published that year.

Family members and friends then use this to choose the text they'd like to give.

They tailor each recommendation to the individual that they're buying for.

Here's an example of the 2023 book bulletin.

Once texts have been chosen, it's popular practise to spend time together reading books and discussing them over the holidays.

This is usually accompanied by food and drink.

Jolabokaflod has become a cherished and integral part of Icelandic Christmas celebrations.

It promotes the love of literature and encourages people to read more.

Here are some examples of the texts that I would like to give if I was to participate in Jolabokaflod this year.

They're beautiful picture books which are really comforting and they allow you to reflect on the human experience, just what I like to do over the holidays.

Here's our final check for understanding.

Which are the correct statements about Jolabokaflod? Is it A, recommendations are chosen using a book bulletin? B, Jolabokaflod began during the First World War.

C, Jolabokaflod is usually celebrated on the 24th of December.

Or D, the festival doesn't encourage people to read.

Which of the following statements are correct? There may be more than one.

Pause video now whilst you decide.

Well done, it's A and C.

Recommendations are usually chosen using a book bulletin.

That's the text that celebrates all of the releases that year.

And it's usually celebrated on the 24th of December where people mostly stay indoors to read texts together, celebrating the comforting and connecting power that reading has.

Jolabokaflod was first started during the Second World War, and the festival definitely encourages people to read.

I'd love to take part in it, wouldn't you? In our final task, I'd like you to think of a traditional festival that you celebrate.

Can you think of a family member or friend who you'd like to recommend a text to as a gift for this festival? Complete the table below.

You'll need to include their name, the festival or celebration name, the text recommendation that you'll recommend to them, and the reason for recommending.

Take time to think about the person and the text that you're going to match to them.

Pause the video now whilst you complete the task.

Fantastic work, I wonder, were you able to link your text with a festival theme? Can you find some time to read with your recommendation recipient? Spending time with loved ones and friends reading can be a valuable and rewarding experience.

It's important to remember that recommendations do not have to be purchased for your recipient.

The gift is in the thoughtfulness that goes into the recommendation.

In today's lesson, we've been developing reading preferences through text recommendations.

We've understood that translated texts provide us with an opportunity to explore different cultures, experiences and worldviews.

Translated texts set in a historical context can offer readers a difference in perspective.

We've learned that translators have to adapt the original text content in a way that makes it accessible and engaging for the reader while simultaneously keeping the meaning the same.

Finally, we've explored Jolabokaflod, which is an Icelandic holiday tradition where it celebrates recommending texts to family members and friends.

The gift is in the thoughtfulness that goes into the recommendation.

I've really enjoyed sharing these recommendations with you and exploring texts in translation.

I hope to see you again soon.