Teaching Translation Techniques to Second Language Learners

Hafissatou Kane

doi:10.22158/selt.v8n3p26

Abstract

Translation is recognized to be one of the most challenging subjects for learners in second language departments. Knowing that these difficulties can be either dependent to the individual or the translation training, this study presents reasons why a translation teacher should introduce learners to translation techniques for better skills. In this regard, the paper aims at proposing the most frequently used translation techniques to second language learners, more specifically, to French-speaking students in English departments. The research draws on findings present in the existing literature. The translation techniques or procedures collected from previous studies can be presented into two types: direct translation procedures (borrowing, calque and literal translation), and indirect or oblique translation procedures (transposition, modulation, equivalence and adaptation). Three other techniques (compensation, amplification and omission) are also added to these seven basic procedures. Since languages can have internal characteristics that distinguish one from another, the study ends up inviting learners to pay attention to some particular features that distinguish French and English while translating.

Highlights

Translation is broadly defined as the act of conveying meaning from one language to another
Findings and Discussions Looking at the recent literature on translation training, the question of whether translation can and should be taught at all has largely been replaced by the question of how we can best teach it. This is the reason why, as already mentioned, the present study proposes some techniques to use in a translation task
As far as the use of translation techniques and methods as mental activities is concerned, there should not be any distinction between the two teaching programs

Summary

Introduction

Translation is broadly defined as the act of conveying meaning from one language to another. The answer to anyone who is sceptical about the formal teaching of translation is twofold: students with a gift for translation invariably find it useful in building their native talent into a fully developed proficiency, students without a gift for translation invariably acquire some degree of proficiency. For both learners, the acquisition of translation skills can be done in more than one way. The paper proposes some useful techniques of translation that can be adopted by L2 learners in rendering the message in a text from one language into another. The second objective consists of selecting and proposing the most frequently used types by translation teachers and translation professionals

Methods

Results

Conclusion