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Translation or a dialogue of Cultures :)
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Wed, 03/18/2009 - 16:11
Hi all,
Thanks to Chris, I had t he opportunity to discuss in her LMCS fielded discussion- whose guest was Susan- the issue of Translation in relation to EFL learning. It's my strong belief that Translation is a very important vehicle via which EFL learning can take place. Furthermore, I do also believe that translation is a mechanism that may trigger off the awareness of the cutural /linguistic /social specificities of both the learner's native language and the target language (English).
1- Do you think Translation can enhance EFL learning?
2- What would say if you were told that Translation can also promote cultural/civilizational dialogue and/or awareness amidst students (future generations) of the world?
Cheers
Thu, 03/19/2009 - 16:55
#2
Hi dear Rachid,
Fantastic points you have raised! Indeed it has become a must to deal with translation while learning EFL, for we do learn learn new things even vis-à-vis our native language. More, we do also undergo -either consciously or unconsciously- a latent comparative approach at the linguistic, cultural, and civilizational levels of both the native and target languages. Above all, translation can also "immortalize" thoughts and concepts of other cultures.
best
Thu, 03/19/2009 - 19:24
#3
Dear All
Mediation will sound better than translation, won't it?
Do you agree that to make a good translation you will need to know much more than L2 (target language) grammar and pronunciation as well as interpretation of L2 words in your native language even in case L2 is very close to L1?
Cultural awareness can be of great help here. The question how to develop it is worth thinking about :)!
Any ideas?
Sat, 03/21/2009 - 00:03
#4
Hi all!
I hope you can find this book useful.
http://www.scribd.com/doc/9377802/Translation-Linguistics-Culture
Cheerio;)
Tarik Boussetta- Global Issues Forum moderator
Sun, 03/22/2009 - 21:01
#5
Hi Zira and All
Couldn't agree more that there is much more in Translating than just knwledge about the language. Cultural Awareness is perhaps the most important factor of them all!
I'd also like to share with you the link to the the British Council Literary Translation Website - great ideas and material there :)
http://www.literarytranslation.com/
Cheers - Chris
Dear Mustapha and all,
I am interested in turn in this topic. I think that translation can help so much in EFL learning. Let me inform you that recently some colleagues of mine are conducting some researches about the (im)possibility of translating difficult vocabulary items especially while dealing with Reading Comprehension in EFL class. I can not tell you frankly what are the outcomes of their research because they have just started.
Yet, personally, I do believe that translation, if used appropriately and adequately can enhance learning. Students, while acquiring a given language, they seem, either directly or obliquely, to turn their backs to their mother tongues nowadays and this is actually what happens with us as EFL learners. When deciding to study Translation Course, we found that many of us could not remember some easy vocabulary we used to know. This is why I think there should be a strategy through which we can integrate translation in our teaching.
Mustapha, nice of you to have raised the issue. Of course, translation can give students the opportunity to recognize the specifities of their own culture and to communicate these specifities to their counterparts in the other parts of the globe. We need translation because this civilizational / cultural / religious dialogue is what constitutes the main concern of the world now and as teachers, we are to sensitize our students of the importance of translation in playing this leading role.
Cheers,
Rachid