"Once I understood that, I found multilingual education easy." - Children and Books PodCast

00:00:00: Music.

00:00:14: And welcome to the children and books.

00:00:16: And I'm really happy today we're talking to augustina she's an historian and also she translated our children books to the Spanish language and greetings from.

00:00:32: Hello hello I will still now I'm very happy that you are today our guests to be worked together for years now and it's nice to continue with it in another way hello to Rachel to Scotland that you are with us today

00:00:48: I'm very happy.

00:00:51: Hello yeah it's lovely to be here today and hi augustina nice to meet you thank you for inviting me.

00:01:00: Maybe I'll post you know you would like a little bit to introduce yourself to the to our listeners who you are

00:01:07: yeah you been already said we have been working together now for some years at the University of Leipzig bad I came to Leipzig where I also live

00:01:20: 2006 from 10th as well I was born actually.

00:01:26: 21 years and then I move to Leipzig.

00:01:34: Yeah and that's what I saw I already had been in touch with the German culture through my school in when Osiris and it was a pile of German school

00:01:45: then yeah it was not planned but I jumped in

00:01:50: did Germany and the German culture is your life and I have been living here ever since and now I have two children with my German husband.

00:02:00: And we are trying to to have a billing well I don't know education or then going then allowed them to grow up in.

00:02:13: That's great what what an exciting time to come to like sick when you're 21 and the new culture.

00:02:23: Yeah and I guess I'm interested in your your translation of lobinas books and.

00:02:32: Can you must know quite a bit about about children's story books because you have small children so how has been how's process been for you translation.

00:02:43: What do you what if your children taught you about translation May.

00:02:50: Yeah it's nice because I'm not a professional translator but I live between languages also my work I write in English in German in Spanish.

00:02:59: But of course translating children's book for Spanish.

00:03:05: Big challenge because as many knows that this language is spoken in many many countries with really different cultural heritage and an environments and traditions and someone was I was always asking myself

00:03:20: ok is that Argentinian Spanish or Spanish that other children would be able to relay

00:03:27: sitting for instant messenger or even Spain

00:03:32: that was a nice thing I mean I wrote also a book in Spanish about history that in American history and I had us all this question but when you are translating a book for children of course you cannot allow yourself to use.

00:03:47: Perhaps scholarly

00:03:54: you know ok everyone will understand that so that was really nice thinking about that and of course always thinking ok this is this book.

00:04:04: Is the many languages about the stories are for the Global for the Global for the North hemisphere because of.

00:04:13: For instance the landscape and someone in America we get a lot of because

00:04:24: because also because of the translation industry and editorial industry will get a lot of books from €1.

00:04:32: So we are used to that bad it was something that I realise.

00:04:36: Once and again when I was translating ok this plant I didn't know that in Spanish

00:04:43: because I have to look at the German ok the Spanish translation

00:04:55: so it was it was some

00:04:58: intercultural this is totally interesting that you mention the plans because in books three which I sent to the illustrator I know you sent him pictures of Z

00:05:10: because he isn't Indonesia and he doesn't know the I don't know how the English names of the plants but it's really remember her little bit,

00:05:23: talking and discussing the question how to make the Spanish translation.

00:05:29: Very good very good

00:05:42: translate something that also my children will enjoy so

00:05:47: yeah that sounds like a really interesting process and you know and it's multi-layered as well as.

00:05:55: And when you come to think about it in that way and you know the Spanish language is huge and spoken in so many different countries does he say and then.

00:06:06: And said there is a real lovely intercultural feel about you.

00:06:10: About what you've been doing but also the way lobina has has produced these books and you know what the illustrator be in Indonesia,

00:06:24: yes and then all these translators in different countries in Europe.

00:06:30: And yeah I need them the podcast which has been.

00:06:34: Pan-European as well.

00:06:42: I really like the challenge because they use in different languages does not mean that we have to have all the same picture of something

00:06:50: so it's really nice to know ok yeah I need some more like for Central European or Western European,

00:06:58: the characters are of for everyone are accessible for.

00:07:03: Everyone can access these characters in the in the in the book so you still can relate to this German Forest through this so and this characters.

00:07:16: Yeah and maybe it would be something that you have been on a German school in Argentina I just I just imagine wouldn't it be nice.

00:07:25: Person is a child who is learning a language to to have such things of course of course of course.

00:07:36: We had a lot of story storytelling is really important in the Battle of education so I think that's also how I learnt to love

00:07:45: this kind of children L I really appreciate that you can enjoy the sun

00:07:53: I would for my children mainly but and it's nice as that I know how I need excuse to buy them but I buy them for me I love children stories and so many amazing things,

00:08:08: around it's a great way to to learn about the world through three-storey I think for children.

00:08:16: And a lovely way to absorb.

00:08:21: What different cultures as well you know if they with these Boots going into different countries it is it is a way to absorb this you know different cultures different views the world as well.

00:08:33: The harder to have you read the books to your children augustina yes the first one,

00:08:41: I showed them that also because of course the pictures are so appealing and they are only 3 years old so when I only read this boring I don't need also the picture and will dance to the how to say how do you

00:08:55: as well for the second time for the second one I did not have your day opportunity but also with children

00:09:01: I think it's wonderful that you have the possibility to read one book many times so they get they want to know what is about and to get to know the character so you can reply.

00:09:14: Set my alarm time.

00:09:25: Yeah lovely.

00:09:31: Tell me a little bit about your childhood augustina and the books that you that were around for you and the different cultures in your because because there's multiculturalism within your family well listen.

00:09:44: Yeah yeah it as I said but I have said typical Family Story for when outside.

00:09:50: My grandmother came from Ireland to win asitis and then got married with an Argentinian man.

00:09:58: I did not get to Mitchell because she died Will Young but my mother ok she has she had this.

00:10:07: Heritage from her mother but also she was a swelling in English at schools in Buenos Aires so she tried to really in.

00:10:18: To show or to to teach as an English language through mainly.

00:10:24: Stories and boards and some traditions for Christmas and someone.

00:10:31: So which Christmas carols and all that kind of Media.

00:10:39: And then I got in the German school because my elf my parents like the kitchen system or mobile,

00:10:48: but I don't have a German family are you have German blood in my family so we started I started new so to say also with my sister this German can get to know.

00:11:01: Batchwood this German colour.

00:11:04: And I have everything that sense because my mother does not speak German so at home we have the more they like the local Argentinian but I said also Spanish.

00:11:14: So children books in English and then.

00:11:20: Slowly progressively also in German.

00:11:26: Bad for me Gemma what's more associated with the school but I enjoyed because they said their storytelling is really important for the location.

00:11:36: We had a lot of stories and even even then you and someone like more.

00:11:46: Hi Carter not children orientated German story so it was interesting.

00:11:53: And I was Tina do you have here in Germany Argentinian custom which you celebrate in your family.

00:12:01: Yeah for instance we house in English we.

00:12:06: A world Christmas tree on the 8th of December because ok Argentina

00:12:13: Catholic country is I don't think I will manage to say the English Maria's day is Maria.

00:12:22: Birthday something that's not a birthday but it's.

00:12:27: So it's today when you have already when you.

00:12:34: Repair or get the Christmas tree in your living room hire really like it because

00:12:41: you can help so you can have your Christmas tree for

00:12:44: long yes with the children then we have a lot of national so to say holidays.

00:12:55: Independence of Argentina and someone but I'm not that interested in your political history is of course for me it's important and if the chilled.

00:13:04: I know managed to develop I need an interest for the history and present and SO14 house we might talk about that or do something on that but

00:13:15: I am more about like more not the state holiday so yes yes yes.

00:13:21: And then we have a lot of a European tradition for Eastern Eastern for us is the beginning of autumn

00:13:28: so it's really weird the free nature in autumn

00:13:37: yes I still have dad but I have some more religious aspects but we also have like the Easter eggs.

00:13:46: That means warm Christmas now you will have.

00:13:55: Yeah in summer for the for the Latin American Christmas.

00:14:07: Actually have poems

00:14:16: are you going to Argentina this Christmas.

00:14:22: Actually I'm leaving after two-and-a-half years because of Corona of course I'm leaving now in today's and I will meet my family and celebrate Christmas in Argentina how long it has been.

00:14:36: Since the last time because as many Noel Christmas more like a expensive time to fly.

00:14:42: Argentina for us the school and everything is ending after after Christmas because after that you have the lung

00:14:52: hi ya yes

00:14:55: a little bit stressful to be 10 Cyrus in December because everyone is getting crazy because they have to close everything and do everything and some.

00:15:04: So there is not that much events feeling yeah yeah of course.

00:15:12: New Year in summer is amazing like this kind of beginning and staying awake long because it's because the summer is warm

00:15:23: if I could I would celebrate a Christmas in Germany as New Year in Argentina but that's not really yes yes ok

00:15:37: I would say thank you we have now yeah I wasn't aware of the Samurai

00:15:47: pictures of there is snow in normal Christmas but nothing

00:15:54: yeah it's really happy they will be able to swim in the swimming pool ok thank you thank you thank you thank you Rachel and I wish everybody a nice Christmas

00:16:14: orhans place or in a winter place it's nice to be at Christmas.

00:16:21: Music.