TRANSLATION AS A LEARNING TOOL IN ESP CLASSES: M.A STUDENTS’ PERCEPTIONS AT THE FACULTE DES SCIENCES ADMINISTRATIVES ET POLITIQUES IN BAMAKO (MALI)

Abstract

The aim of this study is to examine the use of translation in the learning of English for Specific Purposes (ESP). It highlights the outcome of a survey carried out on M.A Students who are specializing in Electoral Engineering at the Faculté des Sciences Administratives et Politiques – Bamako from late May to early June 2023. The survey hinges on the usefulness of translation in the context of English for Specific Purposes, and consists of a five questions questionnaire put to twenty-one (21) students in the first Semester. The Students were requested to express their opinions about the incorporation of French as a method in the ESP class. After briefly introducing some scholarly opinions about translation as a pedagogical tool in teaching EFL, the concept of French in ESP class has also been reviewed. The quantitative results have been presented in bar graphs, showing that M.A Electoral Engineering students consider translation as a useful pedagogical instrument in their English learning setting