My grandfather's life path
A short in Kazakh text at level A2. The translation sits next to it: reading with a dictionary is still too early at this level, and without support it will not happen at all. My grandfather was born in a village, and his childhood fell on hard years. After finishing school he moved to the city…
Text
- Атам ауылда туған, балалық шағы қиын жылдарға тура келді. Мектепті бітірген соң қалаға көшіп, алғашқы жұмысын құрылыстан тапты. Жиырма бес жаста отбасын құрды, кейін осы елде отыз жыл тұрып, зейнетке шықты. Ол жастық шағын жиі еске түсіреді: «Сол кездері бәрі арзан еді», — дейді. Ескі суреттерді көргенде, бәрі өзгергенін түсінемін, бірақ атамның мінезі сол қалпы.My grandfather was born in a village, and his childhood fell on hard years. After finishing school he moved to the city and found his first job in construction. At twenty-five he started a family, then lived in this country for thirty years and retired. He often recalls his youth: "In those days everything was cheap," he says. When I look at old photographs, I understand that everything has changed, but grandfather's character is the same.
Comprehension questions
The questions are asked in Russian on purpose: we test your understanding of the text, not your ability to read the question.
- Where was the grandfather born?
- Where did he find his first job?
- What does the grandfather say about those times?
- What has not changed?
Frequently asked
What level do you need to read this text in Kazakh?
A2. That means: you know the letters and have a stock of everyday words — about two or three hundred.
How to read a text in an unfamiliar language usefully?
First all the way through without peeking at the translation — just to catch the familiar words. Then with the translation. Then all the way through again: the second pass brings noticeably more, and that feeling matters more than any rule.