Students’ Use of Translation as a Learning Strategy in EFL Classroom

Abstract

Translation has long played a controversial role in English teaching and learning. It has been largely ignored as a valid activity for language practice and improvement. On account of this matter, although, most language educators are completely against the use of translation in language classrooms, nowadays, this perspective is changing and more and more professionals have believed the facilitating role of the first language in ELT. On the basis of this matter, this issue has been discussed in applications of language pedagogical methodologies. The main purpose of the present study was to investigate Iranian English learners’ use of translation as a learning strategy to learn English. It is also to find out the strategies involving translation the students use in the process of learning. In order to do all this, the study employed quantitative and supplemental qualitative methods. For the quantitative part, 170 Iranian EFL learners were asked to answer the Inventory for Translation as a Learning Strategy (ITLS) questionnaire. For the qualitative survey, 120 students were selected to respond the learners’ interview guide. Then, the data analysis and statistical calculations revealed that language learners used a wide variety of learning strategies concerning translation to comprehend and remember as well as produce English whether or not they are discouraged to do so by their teachers.