Exploring Translation In Language Learning

This book provides a historical overview of approaches to translation in language education. It explores the functions and scope of translation in the L2 classroom. Translation, as a valid resource and an indispensable skill in today's multilingual communication, should become an integral element of contemporary foreign language learning.

The revival of translation as a means of learning and teaching a foreign language and as a skill in its own right is occurring at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels in universities. In this book, Sara Laviosa proposes a translation-based pedagogy that is grounded in theory and has been applied in real educational contexts. This volume draws on the convergence between the view of language and translation embraced by ecologically-oriented educationalists and the theoretical underpinnings of the holistic approach to translating culture. It puts forward a holistic pedagogy that harmonizes the teaching of language and translation in the same learning environment. The author examines the changing nature of the role of pedagogic translation starting with the Grammar Translation Method and concluding with the more recent ecological approaches to Foreign Language Education. Translation and Language Education analyses current research into the revival of translation in language teaching and is vital reading for translators, language teachers and postgraduate students working in the areas of Translation Studies and Applied Linguistics.

This accessible and engaging textbook offers a practical approach to understanding the complexity of language by exploring language use and language learning in a wide variety of contexts. Bringing together leading specialists who are active researchers in the field of linguistics, this book introduces readers to major fields of language study by focusing on social, cultural and historical factors that show the dynamic nature of language. Topics explored include first and second language acquisition, grammar, meaning-making and pragmatics, language use and technology, language variation, and English as a global language. This book surveys major principles and shows how to apply them through structured discussion topics and activities to facilitate a greater understanding and appreciation of language. This is essential reading for undergraduate students taking courses in linguistics and language use, and a valuable resource for students of communication studies, media studies, sociology and anthropology.

The dynamics of immigration, international commerce and the postcolonial world make it inevitable that much translation is done into a second language, despite the prevailing wisdom that translators should only work into their mother tongue. This book is the first study to explore the phenomenon of translation into a second language in a way that will interest applied linguists, translators and translation teachers, and ESOL teachers working with advanced level students. Rather than seeing translation into a second language as deficient output, this study adopts an interlanguage framework to consider L2 translation as the product of developing competence; learning to translate is seen as a special variety of second language acquisition. Through carefully worked case studies, separate components of translation competence are identified, among them the ability to create stylistically authentic texts in English, the ability to monitor and edit output, and the psychological attitudes that the translator brings to the task. While the case studies mainly deal with Arabic speakers undergoing translator training in Australia, the conclusions will have implications for translation into a second language, especially English, around the world. Translation into the Second Language is firmly grounded in empirical research, and in this regard it serves as a stimulus and a methodological guide for further research. It will be a valuable addition for advanced undergraduate and postgraduate students of applied linguistics, translation theory, bilingualism and second language acquisition as well as those involved in teaching or practicing translation at a professional level.

Drawing upon convergences between translation studies and foreign and second language (L2) didactics that have emerged as a result of recent research, this volume continues the dialogue between the two disciplines by allowing for epistemological two-way traffic, marrying established, yet so far unrelated or under-researched, conceptual approaches, and disseminating innovative scientific evidence from different continents. A unique feature of the volume is the sub-section presenting the most recent empirical studies in the development of linguistic and other professional competences for translators, with suggestions for re(de)fining translation curricula. The contributors to this volume include representatives of various spheres, including academics, researchers and practitioners. Their underlying theoretical and empirical research is informed by multiple perspectives: linguistics, didactics, and translation-related. This book shows how integrating insights from translation studies into language teaching and vice versa can effectively respond to the challenges of contemporary language and translator teaching and training.

Exploring Translation Theories presents a comprehensive analysis of the core contemporary paradigms of Western translation theory. The book covers theories of equivalence, purpose, description, uncertainty, localization, and cultural translation. This second edition adds coverage on new translation technologies, volunteer translators, non-lineal logic, mediation, Asian languages, and research on translators’ cognitive processes. Readers are encouraged to explore the various theories and consider their strengths, weaknesses, and implications for translation practice. The book concludes with a survey of the way translation is used as a model in postmodern cultural studies and sociologies, extending its scope beyond traditional Western notions. Features in each chapter include: An introduction outlining the main points, key concepts and illustrative examples. Examples drawn from a range of languages, although knowledge of no language other than English is assumed. Discussion points and suggested classroom activities. A chapter summary. This comprehensive and engaging book is ideal both for self-study and as a textbook for Translation theory courses within Translation Studies, Comparative Literature and Applied Linguistics.

The aim of this volume is to record the resurgent influence of Language Learning in Translation Studies and the various contemporary ways in which translation is used in the fields of Language Teaching and Assessment. It examines the possibilities and limitations of the interplay between the two disciplines in attempting to investigate the degree to which recent calls for reinstating translation in language learning have borne fruit. The volume accommodates high-quality original submissions that address a variety of issues from a theoretical as well as an empirical point of view. The chapters of the volume raise important questions and demonstrate the beginning of a new era of conscious epistemological traffic between the two aforementioned disciplines. The contributors to the volume are academics, researchers and professionals in the fields of Translation Studies and Language Teaching and Assessment from various countries and educational contexts, including the USA, Canada, Taiwan R.O.C., and European countries such as Belgium, Germany, Greece, Slovenia and Sweden, and various professional and instructional settings, such as school sector and graduate, undergraduate and certificate programs. The contributions approach the interplay between the two disciplines from various angles, including functional approaches to translation, contemporary types of translation, and the discursive interaction between teachers and students.

Routledge Introductions to Applied Linguistics is a series of introductory level textbooks covering the core topics in Applied Linguistics, primarily designed for those entering postgraduate studies and language professionals returning to academic study. The books take an innovative ‘practice to theory’ approach, with a ‘back-to-front’ structure. This leads the reader from real-world problems and issues, through a discussion of intervention and how to engage with these concerns, before finally relating these practical issues to theoretical foundations. Additional features include tasks with commentaries, a glossary of key terms, and an annotated further reading section. Exploring English Language Teaching provides a single volume introduction to the field of ELT from an applied linguistics perspective. The book addresses four central themes within English language teaching: ‘Classroom interaction and management’; ‘Method, Postmethod and methodology’; ‘Learners’; and the ‘Institutional frameworks and social contexts’ of ELT. For each, the book identifies key dilemmas and practices, examines how teachers and other language teaching professionals might intervene and deal with these concerns, and explores how such issues link to and inform applied linguistic theory. This second edition has been extensively revised and updated to explore the latest practical developments and theoretical insights in the field of ELT. With new material, including expanded discussions of CLIL, the role of new technologies in ELT, and the teaching of large classes in difficult circumstances, and with an updated glossary and suggestions for additional reading, this is an indispensable textbook for language teachers and students studying in the areas of Applied Linguistics, Language Teacher Education, and ELT/TESOL.