Would translating novels be a good way to get more proficient in my language?

I think that's counter-productive when learning a foreign language as every region has their own different variations.
Try learning "real" Spanish from Chile and you won't understand shit of what they say in Spain or Argentina. Learn proper Spanish and you'll find it easier to adapt to any of its variants.
It's true that language evolves, but that's a process that takes years, if not decades to develop and take place. Plus in professional scenarios nobody will value your "real" grammar.

 

I find that in professional scenarios, I mostly interact with people who aren't professors of literature. And I need to be able to understand them before I can use my textbook-perfect language skills.

 

What kind of professional scenarios are you talking about?
Sorry, I wasn't clear. I was referring to positions where you'll most likely be asked to pass a written exam or have some kind of credential like a proficiency certificate, not just basic communication skills. Or try publishing a book with horrible grammar mistakes, and tell your editor you prefer "real grammar" when they ask you about it or tries to correct it.
But it doesn't even have to be at that scale. Think of fan-translations as an example, nobody would want to read a translation full of weird grammar and slang that only people from certain regions understands.

 

Credentials? In my job, we don't deal in credentials. What I need, is ability to communicate with my fellow professionals all over the world. And sometimes with unprofessional clients too.

When it comes to translations, I find most things I want to translate written in many styles that have nothing to do with the textbook version of that language. Broken sentences, exotic speech patterns and so on. While a fan translation can get away with just adding a footnote "Osaka speaks in osaka-ben, a dialect of Japanese from city of Osaka", a professional translation should render it in some equally hard to understand manner, for example as Ukrainian if the work is translated into Russian.

 

I agree with that, however, you also need to be able to translate proper sentences into equally proper ones in another language, which you can't do if you only learned the "real" stuff you mentioned first.
I'll end it with this example: Many English speakers tend to use "their" instead of "they're", and it's a BIG percentage of people that do it. Does that make it the proper way to use it? I don't think so. And if you think otherwise, we'll just have to agree to disagree.

 

Learning the textbook version of language is easy. You just take a textbook and do it.
But to master another language, you need to know the everyday version and the common mistakes.

 

Then why do people still confuse those words? Why are there language teachers if you just need a textbook?
Your first comment that I quoted was telling someone who's learning a new language and hasn't completely grasped its grammar to treat bad grammar as "real grammar", and that the proper grammar isn't useful. That's what I refuted.

 

The biggest issue is reinforcement
If you are translating crap most readers wont be able to tell
Who will correct your mistakes?
It is best to translate the same language that you are studying in school

 

There are some avid speakers who will kindly take their time to correct you—if you specifically ask for it that's it. That's how I notice most of my mistakes.

 

Let's just say that most novels on syosetu are written by teens or millenials. Imagine that as if u speak totally like how everyone speaks in fanfics and on reddit. Not something you'd use in your workplace, right? I'm assuming most people do wish to use their language skills as a tool in professional scenarios and not just sit and translate shit for the rest of their lives (if ur planning on doing that, u need to rethink your choices coz it's a super underpaid job). Speaking like people do in WN/LN or even Anime and manga is a cardinal sin in JP workplaces. There have been enough stuff written on this, just google the term keigo. Redundant, yeah, but I'm here to earn money, not rewrite the rules of a language.

Trust me. I know a bunch of languages other than JP (tho I learnt them as a native and 3 in school). Most natives subconsciously switch to polite forms of address in most languages, but if you ignore the textbooks, chances are youll never learn them. Same of certain terms related to your job in specific fields. You're never gonna see stock market terminology in a novel. Or scientific ones.

Japanese is gender neutral throughout but have have to agree that gendered languages are redundant. But once again change dont happen just coz u decide it.

TL;DR: WN as a supplementary reading material, good. But ignoring Textbook bad.

 

On purpose. This is rebellion against English's crazy writing system.
But honestly, every language just has points that are hard to keep track of. Like the soft sign in verbs in Russian. The rule is not hard, and I know it, but I can't be bothered to check for it every time.

You people must be working in some weird places. In my experience, both people whom I work with in the office, and English people I had to talk to for work, they aren't speaking formally.
Also, most people in my workplace are younger than me. Gotta adapt to how young'uns talk.

And neither you are going to see it in a language textbook. If you want to do science in another language, you gotta read scientific journals, or at least Wikipedia.

The last thing I want, is to work in Japan. These people work hard and work dumb, complete opposite of me.

 

Seeing you quote Russian I think you’re either learning the language or are a native. And that’s where the problem is. OPs post was about ‘Asian’ languages. Workplace culture changes from place to place, and guess what? Japan, Korea and China have similar work culture (and so do most other Asian countries). Ever heard of 996? Google it. Meetings that lead nowhere and office hierarchy are common things here. That means you gotta talk polite most times. Europe’s much better in that aspect, but faces a different set of problems and has a totally different culture.

And if you’re not millennial or Gen Z please don’t try to speak like them. It Atleast weirds me out (GenZ here).

Nah, actually I did encounter a few terms broadly scientific (I can’t get too specific things at my level ofc) in textbooks. I gave the JLPT, so it wasn’t a course in school or uni. It’s more about daily situations that you face as an adult working in an Asian society than young lingo you’ll come across in textbooks. Both are useful, but you can’t ignore one altogether.

 

Russian is my native language. English is the language I'm learning.
I also know a little Japanese, and I constantly stumble over real people not talking like in my textbook when I try to use it.

 

Ahhh...English textbooks are goddamn awful. 100% do not recommend.
Maybe it’s coz it’s too global a language.

jp tho, novels and rl are almost two different languages

 

Translating novels can help your proficiency to a certain extent.

There are just several factors that you want to weigh in on.

Like is the novel for a particular audience or Age group? Genre? Is this professional or amateur work?

Your proficiency will improve based on the type of novel/ written work you pick up.

Most professional written works have gone through editing and can be a good reference.

At the same time amateur written works can be helpful. If you want to test yourself on catching informal structures.

 

I think so. Translating can give you a better handle on a language and culture related to said language. It also grows your vocabulary. A yes, that is helpful. HOWEVER, you need to still practice pronunciation as well as conversational skills in that language. That is where full immersion is good, especially living in said country for a bit. But in lieu of that, I would translate and join some language clubs, even dancing or learning martial arts.

 

Not only will it increase your proficiency in the target language, it will even increase your proficiency in the original language. You never appreciate how many grammatical errors you make in everyday conversation until methodically study them.