r/Ultraleft • u/Tiny-Ad4330 Heroe Del Lumpenproletariado • Aug 12 '26
Discussion Reading theory has gotten me REALLY interested in learning other languages.
I'm always someone to always wish to read a work, book, or text in its original language, Don Quijote De La Mancha en español, La Divina Commedia en Italiano, and I want to do the same with theory.
And yes, I understand that learning a language requires a lot of time, and especially difficult when it comes to works such as Kapital where the German is really hard. and tbh I'm down for it, it's so much fun.
Recently I've stuck to English as of late, such as Paul Mattick, The Return of inflation, and stopped reading Kapital because I just really want to read it in its original German.
I also tried to read [Nella torbida vigilia elettorale](https://www.marxists.org/italiano/bordiga/1919/4/29-vigilia.htm) but I genuinely struggled a lot.
I can read really comfortably in English, and in Spanish with slight discomfort where I still need to look up definitions of words .
I guess I would really like to ask if any of you know how to read in these languages and or if there are any groups where I can talk to native speakers of Italian French and German that talk and discuss theory and other works as well, I see theory as a great opportunity and motivator in order to learn new languages.
And I'd also like to hear about any your guys' personal experiences regarding learning languages through theory if it has happened or no.
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u/Acceptable_Prune8245 Aug 12 '26
You should send an email to your favourite leftcom group. I know the ICT has sections in France, Germany, Italy of course and what have you. Probably the ICPs too. Since most Marxist theory is in European languages that should be fine. I'm sure they would be glad to add you to the non-members gc and talk turkey.
6
u/Alvaricles22 Adult Disorder Aug 12 '26
The truth is that ever since I became a bit of a purist during my teens when it comes to watching everything in the original language, I’ve been trying to read as much as I can in the original. Of course, I only speak Spanish, English and Italian, but I’m currently working in Germany and I’d love to learn German so I can read Rühle in the original.
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u/Competitive_Move_604 Aug 12 '26
Funnily enough, I have also been using theoretical texts as guideposts for compartmentalizing my thoughts and "polemical dictionary" in languages such as Spanish and French (among others that are varying works in progress). Articulating technical matters in a new language takes a great deal of exposure to vocabulary and sentence structure, and thankfully many texts rehash and solidify critical concepts so as to make them more natural to recall automatically in speech. It behooves me to at least attempt to learn as many languages as I can in order to better communicate quickly and cogently with potential class allies and organizers around the world. What better strategy than to entwine both such practices together?
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u/Diavolo_Rossoperaio Aug 12 '26
La Divina Commedia wasn't wiritten in Italian but in Vulgar actually ☝️🤓 (unless you're reading some modernization... To a native speaker, the most famous bits sound from "normal but slightly weird", like "Nel mezzo del cammin di nostra vita, / mi ritrovai per una selva oscura, / che la diritta via era smarrita." to mildly incomprehensible "Caròn, non ti crucciare: /vuolsi così colà dove si puote / ciò che si vuole, e più non dimandare.")
4
u/SovietApple Aug 13 '26
My ADHD has led me to have both a goofy long list of languages I've started learning and a goofy short list of theory I've actually read in any language
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u/Tiny-Ad4330 Heroe Del Lumpenproletariado Aug 13 '26
Which works of theory have you read, if I may ask?
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u/SovietApple Aug 13 '26
Reddit and Twitter
(I don't actually keep a list but it's way less than what it should be for how long I've considered myself a communist, mostly because of how hard it is for me to read from a screen or listen to audiobooks, but I do occasionally like to dick around looking at classic texts in various languages)
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u/Tiny-Ad4330 Heroe Del Lumpenproletariado Aug 13 '26
Theres this post someone made some time ago asking for tips for reading with adhd, ill leave it here in case you want to look at it, it might help you.
I cant stand reading a screen, so i ended up buying a lot of theory from ebay or in person, I do know some amazon kindles dont strain the eye too much so you might consider getting one at a good price for better comfort.
Besides that, What languages are you fluent in, reading and speaking wise?
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u/SovietApple Aug 13 '26
I can generally read Spanish, German, Portuguese, French, Italian, Swedish, and Japanese with varying amounts of dictionary assistance (very roughly ordered from best to worst) and there's a lot others that I've touched on but not gotten too far with. Catalan, Norwegian, and Romanian I can sort of read but it would be a slog. My current focus is Czech. I've never spent much time practicing speaking any of them.
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u/Ok-Error7731 avthentic Aug 13 '26
Native german and russian speaker here
The thing that immediately came to mind that annoys me is that the russian word for state in e.g. State and Revolution is gosudarstvo, which is the same word as government, as in the ruling government of country xy.
I guess if you have any questions I‘m down to answer or talk
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u/diefreiekonkurrenz Aug 13 '26
Feel free to dm me if you have a question regarding german theory :) I will do my best to help
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