I learned to ask again
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. Earlier, talking on the phone, I worried a lot: even if I did not catch something, it felt awkward to ask again. Then I…
Text
- Бұрын телефонмен сөйлескенде қатты қобалжитынмын: естімей қалсам да, қайта сұрауға ыңғайсызданатынмын. Кейін бір қарапайым ережені үйрендім: түсінбесең, бірден нақтыла. Енді «дұрыс түсіндім бе?» деп сұраймын, ал қажет болса, әріптеп айтуды өтінемін. Біреу сөзімді бөлсе, ренжімеймін, жай ғана «сөзімді айтайыншы» деп жалғастырамын. Осылай әңгіме жеңіл өтеді, ал соңында «әңгімелескеніміз жақсы болды» деуге болады.Earlier, talking on the phone, I worried a lot: even if I did not catch something, it felt awkward to ask again. Then I learned one simple rule: if you did not understand, clarify at once. Now I ask "did I understand correctly?", and if needed I ask them to spell it out. If someone interrupts me, I do not take offense; I simply say "let me finish" and go on. This way the conversation goes easily, and at the end one can say "it was nice talking".
Comprehension questions
The questions are asked in Russian on purpose: we test your understanding of the text, not your ability to read the question.
- What did the narrator feel awkward about before?
- What rule did he learn?
- What does he do when interrupted?
- How does he end the conversation?
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.