English as a Lingua Franca and Translation

Abstract

This introduction to the ITT special issue on English as Lingua Franca (ELF) and Translation argues that both translation theory and translation pedagogy should engage with the spread of ELF and its impact on professional translation. The unique and complex status of ELF, which calls into question traditional notions of language and culture, combined with globalization processes, is yet to be explored from the perspective of translation. Most important of all, the implications of ELF for the translator’s profession should be taken on board in translator and interpreter training and pursued through a student-centred approach. The author suggests that the translation and interpreting curriculum should be reconfigured both on a theoretical and a practical level. Students need to become aware of and reflect on the rapidly changing nature of their future profession. At the same time, they need to learn how to translate, in and out of their mother tongue, texts written in ELF produced by international organizations and addressed to international audiences. They also need to acquire editing skills through specific modules in order to fill the gap between translator training and the demands of the market.