Ryeznik
Maryna
Dnipropetrovsk National
University
The ability to speak a foreign language is no longer
merely an advantage – it is becoming a necessity. As a
result, linguists and
methodologists are looking for more effective approaches to language
teaching. One of the suggested methods is translation. Until recently, attitudes to the use of translation in
foreign language teaching have been predominantly negative. Today translation is gradually becoming recognized as a
valid activity for language practice and improvement.
The reason why translation is, even today, ignored by
some teachers as an effective language learning activity is mainly because
teachers often feel that translation involves no oral interaction and therefore
is not a communicative activity, and that it does not suit the general needs of
the language learner. Moreover, many of teachers consider use of the mother
tongue in foreign language teaching undesirable, or feel that translation is
time-consuming, boring and irrelevant. But this does not have to be the case.
The studies have proved that translation can be an
interesting as well as a useful activity in language teaching. One of the main
objectives of foreign language teaching is to develop a student’s ability to
communicate in a target language. According to Duff (1, p.160), “translation
develops three qualities essential to all language learning: accuracy, clarity
and flexibility. It trains the learner to search (flexibility) for the most
appropriate words (accuracy) to convey what is meant (clarity).” Translation is
a communicative activity, as it naturally encourages speculation and
discussion. Apart from the fact that translation provides a basis for
discussion and thus contributes to the improvement of speaking skills, it also
invites the practicing of other language skills. Depending on the students’
needs, the teacher can also select material to illustrate particular aspects of
language and structure with which the students have difficulty in English. By
working through these difficulties in their mother tongue, students come to see
the link between language and usage. In addition to these merits of translation
as a language-learning activity, there are also a number of other reasons for
using this technique in class.
One of them is the fact that translation shapes our
way of thinking, and helps us to understand better the influence of the one
language on another, and to correct habitual errors that would otherwise remain
unnoticed. Translation enables us to explore the potential of both languages -
their strengths and weaknesses.
Besides, the learner will have to use translation once
he has learned a foreign language for translation is a real life communicative
activity – the learners translate in class for peers, decode signs and notices
in the environment, translate instructions and letters for friends and
relations, etc. Moreover, with the increased mobility of people and goods in a
unified, multilingual Europe, translation is expected to be practiced almost on
daily basis. Ultimately, to achieve language competence, which is the priority
of language teaching, students need to be able to communicate both ways – into
and from the foreign language. Translation is ideally suited to the practicing
of these skills.
Translation promotes language learning and,
ultimately, proficiency. Put more simply, it helps learners learn the language.
Individual learners have reported that they find it
beneficial, and this has been confirmed by empirical research. With the growing importance of learner-centered
language teaching, it is believed that anything that helps the learner in his
or her own way is surely an asset. Hence, researchers and
practitioners are urged to investigate what is of assistance to learners in
order to help them arrive at their objective in the most economic way. Translation as an aid to learning is likely to be
favoured by analytically oriented learners.
When and how should translation be used in a foreign
language teaching? If translation as a classroom technique is to help students
achieve competence in the foreign language, it must be used sensibly,
systematically and on a regular basis. There is no point in merely handing out
texts to the learners with the instruction “Translate”. Translation is a
serious business which requires careful preparation both on the part of the
teacher and the learner. Carefully chosen preparatory activities are necessary,
and they can be integrated in reading, listening and writing activities, and
also in vocabulary and grammar practice. Since translation is time consuming,
it is advisable that longer pieces should be done at home, with further
discussion of problematic moments and ideas in the classroom.
Another important issue is the selection of
material. Almost all authors seem to be in agreement that translation is
most useful as a quick and easy way to present the meaning of words and
contextualized items, and when it is necessary to draw attention to certain
differences that would otherwise go unnoticed (2, p.162; 3, p.99). However, the
role of translation should not be limited only to the presentation of lexical
items. One should rather explore ways for it appropriate
application within the communicative paradigm, and create challenging language
activities which have cognitive depth. Thus, the material selected to be used in the foreign
language teaching must be interesting and varied, covering the full range of
styles. Genuine translation involves analysis of the meaning of the source
text. The students should be led to consider the expressive possibilities of
the target language and to discover that it is not always possible to attain
exact equivalence. In this way they will learn to evaluate possible versions to
see which most fully captures all the implications of the original, and will
find out that they need to look beyond single words, chunks of sentences, or
even complete sentences to whole stretches of text as they make their
decisions. Ultimately, they will learn to translate ideas, not words.
The teacher, when selecting the material, must also
consider its potential for encouraging discussion. According to
Šavelová (4, p.96), all translation should lead to discussion –
without this, the use of translation in the classroom is purposeless. Pair work
and group work are effective as they give students opportunity to compare and
discuss their suggestions with others. All students should be equally involved
in the task. The material should preferably be short, with oral translation
prevailing over written.
Translation activities should not be pursued in
isolation, but should rather be included in existing courses. A
multi-directional, or multi-skill, approach must be mentioned as the most
effective both in pedagogical and organizational terms. Thus, preparatory
activities, or pre-translation activities, should simultaneously be prewriting,
or post-reading, or grammar or vocabulary practical tasks. In addition,
translation activities can occasionally be employed for consolidation, while
post-translation activities may be focused on rewording, rewriting, revision
and evaluation.
Translation as a method of language teaching is still
a subject under research and continues to be one of the most frequently
discussed topics among teachers of English. In our opinion, this activity can
be used for language practice and improvement in a similar manner to role play,
project work and conversation. If properly designed, translation activities can
be employed to enhance the four skills and develop accuracy, clarity and
flexibility. Thus, the language teaching community resorts to it as a
legitimate pedagogical tool.
References:
1.
Duff,
A. Translation. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1994.
2.
Harmer,
J. The Practice of English Language Teaching. London: Longman, 1991.
3. Nunan, D, Lamb C. The Self-Directed Teacher. Managing
the Learning Process. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1996.
4.
Šavelová,
J. Teaching Translation of Specialized Texts after the Accession to the EU. // Ďuricova,
A. Od textu k prekladu. Prague: JTP, 2006, pp. 95 – 98.