Abstract
This study investigates the difficulties that undergraduate and graduate students of English language encounter intheir interpretation and translation of English idiomatic/formulaic expressions into Arabic. Since the majority ofthese idiomatic expressions (referred to hereafter as IEs) in English or any other language potentially have morethan one interpretation, it has been assumed that these expressions constitute a major problem for non-nativespeakers of English, particularly for those who do not have adequate semantic and pragmatic competence in thetarget culture.The interpretation/translation task used in this study consists of three English formulaic expressions deliberatelyselected to measure both undergraduate and graduate students’ semantic and pragmatic competence ininterpreting/translating these formulaic expressions. The results of this study are based on the writteninterpretation/translation and the informal solicitation of responses from 83 undergraduate students of Englishlanguage and 13 graduate students of Applied Linguistics and Translation.The disparity in the students' performance on the interpretation task that was administered to both groupsunequivocally verified the claim that 'inter-lingual transfer’ occurs when foreign students are called upon totranslate from their mother tongue to a foreign language; and that acquiring adequate competence in thepragmatics of the target language and culture is highly essential for the acquisition of literacy and avoidance ofmisinterpretation of such expressions (Gass & Selinker, 1983; Odlin, 1989; Kharma & Hajjaj,1997; Mahmoud,2002).The findings of this study indicate that graduate students have done overwhelmingly well in comparison withtheir undergraduate counterparts. This is probably due to their continued training in translating material to andfrom the target language and culture. The findings have also emphasized the importance of providing studentswith adequate training in pragmatics, intercultural communication, and translation.
Highlights
In his famous book entitled “Formulaic Language and the Lexicon”, Wray (2002) remarked that when some native speakers were asked about their perception and interpretation of what the formulaic expression ‘rice crispy’ really means, they were shocked to realize that it meant no more and no less than its conceptual content: This cereal is made from rice and it is crispy and delicious
Since the majority of these idiomatic expressions in English or any other language potentially have more than one interpretation, it has been assumed that these expressions constitute a major problem for non-native speakers of English, for those who do not have adequate semantic and pragmatic competence in the target culture
This study has emphasized the soundness and viability of our proposition that the lack of pragmatic competence that our English language students manifest in their responses and interpretation is a crucial element in contributing to their failure to deal successfully with formulaic expression in translation or intercultural communication encounters
Summary
In his famous book entitled “Formulaic Language and the Lexicon”, Wray (2002) remarked that when some native speakers were asked about their perception and interpretation of what the formulaic expression ‘rice crispy’ really means, they were shocked to realize that it meant no more and no less than its conceptual content: This cereal is made from rice and it is crispy and delicious. The most revealing and insightful aspect of the respondents’ perception of this particular formulaic expression is the level of difficulty that some of these formulaic/idiomatic expressions can pose to native speakers of English. This particular situation can be considered a litmus test in the sense that it reveals the type of disparity which manifests itself in the perception of native speakers of one formulaic expression when the expectation is that there has to be some consistency in their perception of this particular formulaic expression. The primary focus of the present study is to emphasize the type of difficulties that non-native speakers of English encounter in their translation/interpretation of IEs and their consequences
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
