Let’s check the data in Slovenian
Two employees decide whether the numbers in the report can be trusted in Slovenian. 8 phrases that the conversation is made of: «Ta številka se mi zdi dvomljiva, poglej razmerje.» — This figure seems doubtful to me; look at the ratio.; «Res je. Iz katerega vira so ti podatki?» — True. What source is this data from? Every line can be played right on the page. The conversation is predictable: few lines, and almost all of them repeat from one exchange to the next.
How the whole thing sounds
The situation: two employees decide whether the numbers in the report can be trusted. The conversation is short and predictable — which is exactly what makes it good for a first try: few lines, and almost all of them repeat from one exchange to the next.
- Ta številka se mi zdi dvomljiva, poglej razmerje.This figure seems doubtful to me; look at the ratio.
- Res je. Iz katerega vira so ti podatki?True. What source is this data from?
- Iz druge roke. Nimam verodostojnega dokaza.By hearsay. I have no reliable proof.
- Potem moramo trditev ponovno preveriti ali pa jo ovreči.Then we must recheck the claim or refute it.
- Nova meritev bo pokazala, ali je bila to zmota.A new measurement will show whether it was a delusion.
- Metodo opiši do potankosti, ne le na kratko.Describe the method thoroughly, not just briefly.
- Na podlagi teh opazovanj bomo utemeljili sklep.On the basis of these observations we will substantiate the conclusion.
- Če se izkaže, da je napaka naša, jo takoj popravimo.If it turns out the mistake is ours, we’ll fix it right away.
Lines one by one
| Slovenian | Reading | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Ta številka se mi zdi dvomljiva, poglej razmerje. | — | This figure seems doubtful to me; look at the ratio. |
| Res je. Iz katerega vira so ti podatki? | — | True. What source is this data from? |
| Iz druge roke. Nimam verodostojnega dokaza. | — | By hearsay. I have no reliable proof. |
| Potem moramo trditev ponovno preveriti ali pa jo ovreči. | — | Then we must recheck the claim or refute it. |
| Nova meritev bo pokazala, ali je bila to zmota. | — | A new measurement will show whether it was a delusion. |
| Metodo opiši do potankosti, ne le na kratko. | — | Describe the method thoroughly, not just briefly. |
| Na podlagi teh opazovanj bomo utemeljili sklep. | — | On the basis of these observations we will substantiate the conclusion. |
| Če se izkaže, da je napaka naša, jo takoj popravimo. | — | If it turns out the mistake is ours, we’ll fix it right away. |
How to prepare for a conversation like this
Memorizing the lines is not enough: the other person will say their own thing, not what is written. What helps more is catching the key words by ear and keeping three rescue phrases ready: “I don't understand”, “repeat, please”, “slower”.
And one more thing phrasebooks do not mention: awkwardness gets in the way more than not knowing the words.
- Fear of making mistakes gets in the way of learning a language, and it gets in the way badly. It is one of the most reliably measured findings in the entire field.checked many timesTeimouri, Goetze & Plonsky, 2019, Studies in Second Language Acquisition 41(2) · 19,933 participants from 23 countries; correlation with results r = −0.36.
- That fear can be dealt with — the methods have been tested and they work.checked many timesXiong et al., 2024, Journal of Language and Social Psychology · 37 studies, anxiety reduced by −0.61. Of the seven conditions examined, only age turned out to matter.
Frequently asked
How do you start a conversation in Slovenian in this situation?
“Ta številka se mi zdi dvomljiva, poglej razmerje.” — This figure seems doubtful to me; look at the ratio.. The first line in such a conversation is almost always the same, and that is the one worth learning: the other person will carry it from there.
What if you did not understand the reply?
Say “I don't understand” and “repeat, please” — both are in the rescue set. Admitting your language is still shaky almost always makes the other person more patient.
Should you memorize the dialogue?
No. It is more useful to catch the key words by ear: the other person will say their own thing, and a memorized line will not always fit their reply.