A didactic sequence to help legal translation trainees develop strategic and intercultural competence: macro-level textual consequences of micro-level decisions when dealing with legal culture-bound terms

Abstract

ABSTRACT Translating legal culture-bound terms is one of the difficulties facing any legal translator due to asymmetries between national legal systems. To train trainees to deal with these terms, strategic and intercultural competences must be developed. This article focuses on how to pedagogically address the varying degrees of incongruity that may arise when translating legal culture-bound terms. The learning objectives set are for trainees to be able to apply the most appropriate translation technique to use in each instance, selecting it at a micro-unit level that is coherent with the macro-level approach determined by the communicative situation and target text purpose. A theoretical and pedagogical framework is presented, followed by the description of a didactic sequence that was created as action research to develop trainees’ strategic and intercultural competences. The didactic sequence includes 4 units with task-based learning activities and formative and summative assessment. The activities were piloted in a postgraduate specialisation course in legal translation at the Autonomous University of Barcelona. Trainee responses to a follow-up survey and focus group show that the activities were perceived to be useful and helpful when dealing with the difficulty of translating legal culture-bound terms.