Translation in Language Teaching - The Need for Redefinition of Translation
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.54855/acoj.241512Keywords:
translation, language learning, communicative viewAbstract
Translation has been long excluded from language classes due to its association with the drawbacks of the Grammar Translation Method (GTM). However, in recent years, translation has made a comeback with its positive impact on students’ language performance. The effect of translation on the learner’s language knowledge has been finite compared with other language activities. The paper presents a critical analysis of research on translation in language teaching. It is found that the limited results of studies on the impact of translation may involve linguistic focus. Generally, most of the studies did not focus on the meaningfulness of linguistic items, which can only be achieved by placing them in context. In other words, the linguistic view of translation is still common in studies supporting translation. The redefinition of translation should incorporate communicative aspects of translation and the function of translation in a communicative context. The literature-based paper reinstates the importance of a communicative view of translation in language teaching, and it makes proposals related to the inclusion of translation in language learning classes.
References
Alves, F. (2005). Bridging the gap between declarative and procedural knowledge in the training of translators: Meta-reflection under scrutiny. Meta: Journal des Traducteurs/Translators’ Journal, 50(4). doi: 10.7202/019861ar
Bachman, L. F. (1990). Fundamental considerations in language testing. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Beecroft, R. (2013). From intercultural speaker to intercultural writer: Towards a new understanding of translation in foreign language teaching. In D. Tsagari & G. Phlōros (Eds.), translation in language teaching and assessment (pp. 155-172). Newcastle Upon Tyne: Cambridge Scholars Publishing.
Belpoliti, F., & Plascencia, A. (2013). Translation techniques in the Spanish for heritage learners’ classroom: Promoting lexical development. In D. Tsagari & G. Floros (Eds.), translation in language teaching and assessment (pp. 65-92). Newcastle Upon Tyne: Cambridge Scholars Publishing.
Bonyadi, A. (2003). Translation: Back from Siberia. Translation Journal, 7(3), 1983.
Brender, A. S. (2002). The effectiveness of teaching articles to (-Art) ESL students in writing classes using consciousness-raising methods. (Doctoral dissertation, Temple University, America). Retrieved from ProQuest Dissertations and Theses.
Canale, M. (1983). From communicative competence to communicative language pedagogy. Language and Communication, 1(1), 1-47.
Canale, M., & Swain, M. (1980). Theoretical bases of communicative approaches to second language teaching and testing. Applied Linguistics, I(1), 1-47. doi: 10.1093/applin/I.1.1
Canga-Alonso, A., & Rubio-Goitia, A. (2016). Students' reflections on pedagogical Translation in Spanish as a foreign language. Tejuelo, 23(1), 132-157
Carreres, Á. (2014). Translation as a means and as an end: Reassessing the divide. The Interpreter and Translator Trainer, 8(1), 123-135. doi: 10.1080/1750399X.2014.908561
Carreres, Á., & Noriega-Sánchez, M. (2011). Translation in language teaching: Insights from professional translator training. The Language Learning Journal, 39(3), 281-297. doi: 10.1080/09571736.2011.567356
Colina, S. (2002). Second language acquisition, language teaching, and translation studies. Translator: Studies in Intercultural Communication, 8(1), 1-24.
Colina, S., & Lafford, B. A. (2018). Translation in Spanish language teaching: The integration of a “fifth skill” in the second language curriculum. Journal of Spanish Language Teaching, 1-14. doi: 10.1080/23247797.2017.1407127
Cook, G. (2010). Translation in language teaching: An argument for reassessment. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
D’Amore, A. M. (2014). The role of translation in language teaching: Back to GT in ELT?. In Y. Cui & W. Zhao (Eds.), Handbook of research on teaching methods in language translation and interpretation (pp. 118-135). Hershey, PA: IGI Global.
Dagilienė, I. (2012). Translation as a learning method in English language teaching. Studies About Languages, 21, 124-129. doi: 10.5755/j01.sal.0.21.1469
Davies, M., & Kiraly, D. (2006). Translation: Pedagogy. In K. Brown (Ed.), Encyclopedia of Language and Linguistics (2nd ed., pp. 81-85). Cambridge, UK: Elsevier Ltd.
Duff, A. (1989). Translation. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Fernández-Guerra, A. B. (2014). The usefulness of translation in foreign language learning: Students’ attitudes. IJ-ELTS, 2(1), 153-170.
Gile, D. (2009). Basic concepts and models for interpreter and translator training (Rev. ed.). Amsterdam: John Benjamins Publishing.
González-Davies, M. (2004). Multiple voices in the translation classroom: Activities, tasks and projects. Amsterdam: John Benjamins Publishing.
Harvey, M. (1996). A translation course for French-speaking students. In P. Sewell & I. Higgins (Eds.), Teaching translation in universities: Present and future perspectives (pp. 45-65). London, UK: Assn. for French Language Studies & Centre for Information on Language Teaching & Research.
Holmes, J. S. (1994). Translated! Papers on literary translation and translation studies (Vol. 7.). Amsterdam: Rodopi.
House, J. (2008). Using translation to improve pragmatic competence. In E. Alco’n Soler & A. Martinez-Flor (Eds.), Investigating pragmatics in foreign language learning, teaching and testing, (pp. 3-25). Bristol, PA: Multilingual Matters.
Hummel, K. M. (2010). Translation and short-term L2 vocabulary retention: Hindrance or help? Language Teaching Research, 14(1), 61-74. doi: 10.1177/1362168809346497
Jonasson, K. (1998). Degree of text awareness in professional vs. non-professional translators. In A. Beylard-Ozeroff, J. Králová & B. Moser-Mercer (Eds.), Translators’ strategies and
Kelly, D. (2005). A handbook for translator trainers: A guide to reflective practice. Manchester, UK: St. Jerome Publishing.
Kelly, N., & Bruen, J. (2015). Translation as a pedagogical tool in the foreign language classroom: A qualitative study of attitudes and behaviours. Language Teaching Research, 19(2), 150-168. doi: 10.1177/1362168814541720
Kim, E. (2011). Using translation exercises in the communicative EFL writing classroom. ELT Journal, 65(2), 154-160. doi: 10.1093/elt/ccq039
Klein-Braley, C. (1996). Teaching translation: A brief for the future. In P. Sewell & I. Higgins (Ed.), Teaching translation in universities: Present and future perspectives (pp. 15-30). London, UK: AFLS & CILT.
Kokkinidou, A., & Spanou, K. (2013). The didactic use of translation in foreign language teaching: A practical example. In D. Tsagari & G. Phlōros (Eds.), translation in language teaching and assessment (pp. 173-190). Newcastle upon Tyne, UK: Cambridge Scholars Publishing.
Korošec, M. K. (2013). Teaching grammar through translation. In D. Tsagari & G. Phlōros (Eds.), translation in language teaching and assessment (pp. 23-40). Newcastle upon Tyne, UK: Cambridge Scholars Publishing.
Lado, R. (1964). Language teaching: A scientific approach. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.
Laviosa, S. (2014). Translation and language education: Pedagogic approaches explored. New
Lee, T. (2013). Incorporating translation into the language classroom and its potential impacts upon L2 learners. In D. Tsagari & G. Floros (Eds.), translation in language teaching and assessment (pp. 3-22). Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK: Cambridge Scholars Publishing.
Leonardi, V. (2010). The role of pedagogical translation in second language acquisition: From theory to practice. Bern: Peter Lang.
Leonardi, V., & Salvi, R. (2016). Language pedagogy and translation studies: Towards a (re)definition of translation. In Y. Gambier & L. van Doorslaer (Eds.), Border Crossings: Translation Studies and other disciplines (pp. 331-348). Amsterdam: John Benjamins
Lörscher, W. (2005). The translation process: Methods and problems of its investigation. Meta: Journal des Traducteurs/Translators’ Journal, 50(2), 597-608. doi: 10.7202/011003ar
Malmkjær, K. (1998). Introduction: Translation and language teaching. In K. Malmkjaer (Ed.), Translation & language teaching: Language teaching & translation. Manchester, UK: St. Jerome Publishing.
Murtisari, E. T. (2016). Translation skill in language learning/teaching: EFL learners’ point of view. Studies About Languages (29), 102-113.
Newson, D. (1998). Translation and foreign language learning. In K. Malmkjær (Ed.), Translation and language teaching: Language teaching and translation (pp. 63-68).
Okonska, E. K., & Kościałkowska-Okońska, E. (2013). Researching translation competence: The expert problem. In K. Pįatkowska (Ed.), Correspondences and contrasts in foreign language pedagogy and translation studies (pp. 219-232). New York, NY: Springer.
Olk, H. M. (2001). The translation of cultural references: An empirical investigation into the translation of culture-specific lexis by degree-level language students (Doctoral dissertation, University of Kent, Canterbury, England).
Phat, D. D. (2022). On the Shift of Parts of Speech in Prepositional Meaning in English-Vietnamese Translation. Dinh, DP (2022). On the Shift of Parts of Speech in Prepositional Meaning in English-Vietnamese Translation. AsiaCALL Online Journal, 13(1), 166-179.
Pariente-Beltran, B. (2013). Evaluating translation as an explicit instruction tool to improve L2 written skills: An empirical study. (Doctoral dissertation, University of Massachusetts Amherst, America). Retrieved from ProQuest, UMI Dissertations Publishing.
Richards, J. C., & Rodgers, T. S. (2001). Approaches and methods in language teaching. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.
Savignon, S. J. (1972). Communicative competence: An experiment in foreign language teaching. Philadelphia: Center for Curriculum Development.
Savignon, S. J. (1983). Communicative competence: Theory and classroom practice: Texts and contexts in second language learning. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley.
Suparmin, S. (2003). Translation in the teaching of a foreign language as a means and as an end. TEFLIN Journal, 14(1), 73-81.
Tirkkonen-Condit, S., & Laukkanen, J. (1996). Evaluations: A key towards understanding the affective dimension of translational decisions. Meta: Journal des Traducteurs/Translators’ Journal, 41(1), 45-59. doi: 10.7202/002360ar
Truong, V. N. K., & Le, Q. T. (2022). Utilizing YouTube to Enhance English Speaking Skill: EFL Tertiary Students’ Practices and Perceptions. AsiaCALL Online Journal, 13(4), 7-31.
Tsagari, D., & Phlōros, G. (2013). Preface. In D. Tsagari & G. Phlōros (Eds.), translation in language teaching and assessment (pp. vii-xii). Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK: Cambridge Scholars Publishing.
Valdeón, R. A. (2015). The (ab)use of taboo lexis in audiovisual Translation: Raising awareness of pragmatic variation in English-Spanish. Intercultural Pragmatics, 12(3), 363-385. doi: 10.1515/ip-2015-0018.
Vermes, A. (2010). Translation in foreign language teaching: A brief overview of pros and cons. Eger Journal of English Studies, 10, 83-93.
Widdowson, H. G. (2003). Defining issues in English language teaching: Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2024 Nguyen Thi Thu Huong
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
License
Authors retain copyright and grant the journal the right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgment of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository, in a journal or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgment of its initial publication in this journal.
Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process.
Copyright
The copyright of all articles published in the acoj remains with the Authors, i.e. Authors retain full ownership of their article. Permitted third-party reuse of the open access articles is defined by the applicable Creative Commons (CC) end-user license which is accepted by the Authors upon submission of their paper. All articles in the acoj are published under the CC BY-NC 4.0 license, meaning that end users can freely share an article (i.e. copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format) and adapt it (i.e. remix, transform and build upon the material) on the condition that proper attribution is given (i.e. appropriate credit, a link to the applicable license and an indication if any changes were made; all in such a way that does not suggest that the licensor endorses the user or the use) and the material is only used for non-commercial purposes.
