Nonsense Translation

Nonsense Translation is a sit-down, individual activity that requires a pencil, paper, and something to translate.

Preparation
For Nonsense Translation, the students will need text to translate. It is preferable that the text be in a language that none of the students are familiar with. You can give out multiple texts to translate, or have every student translate the same text.

Directions
Have the students attempt to translate their text without any knowledge of the language that the text is in. The students can try to find words that are phonetically similar to the ones in their text, or they can try to recognize roots from other languages they might know. After everyone has completed their translation, share! Discuss with the students what methods they chose for translating despite not knowing the language.