Translation in the Translation in the Business EnglishBusiness English

ClassroomClassroomMaurice ClaypoleMaurice Claypole

Best of BESIG, Paris, June 2008Best of BESIG, Paris, June 2008

The traditional mind setThe traditional mind set

”For 6 days and 23 hours of the week, our students live in a Japanese world. For only one hour a week, they should have an English intensive lesson. It may be their only opportunity to hear a native English speaker, so why should that native English speaker use Japanese when they could be hearing perfect English?”(cited by Klevberg 2000)

Translation is ...Translation is ...

• ““the poor relation of language teaching” the poor relation of language teaching” (Maley)(Maley)

• ““the last refuge of the foreign language the last refuge of the foreign language teacher” (Nott)teacher” (Nott)

• ““the most important channel of the most important channel of intercultural dialogue (Abboud)”intercultural dialogue (Abboud)”

• ““the task of communicating across the task of communicating across cultures” (Krieger)cultures” (Krieger)

On Grammar-Translation On Grammar-Translation 11

”The Grammar-Translation Method focuses on developing student appreciation of the target language’s literature as well as teaching the language...

Class work is highly structured, with teacher controlling all activities…

Most interaction is teacher-to-student; student-initiated inter-action and student-student interaction is minimal.” (Snow 1992)

On Grammar-Translation On Grammar-Translation 22

• ”The danger with the grammar-translation is that it teaches people about the language and doesn’t really help them to learn the language itself.” (Harmer, How To Teach English, 1998)

• " " (Harmer, The Practice of English Language Teaching 2001, 2007

Types of translationTypes of translation• SemanticSemantic• CommunicativCommunicativ

ee• CognitiveCognitive• PragmaticPragmatic• TranspositionaTranspositiona

ll• MetaphoricalMetaphorical• InterlinearInterlinear• LiteralLiteral• ContextualContextual• DescriptiveDescriptive• CondensingCondensing• ParaphrasingParaphrasing

• DidacticDidactic• TransferentialTransferential• TranscriptiveTranscriptive• ReferentialReferential• WrittenWritten• OralOral• GenericGeneric• InternalInternal• ExternalExternal• DecodingDecoding• RetentiveRetentive• AssumedAssumed• Self-Self-

referentialreferential

• EquivalentEquivalent• NaturalNatural• LiteralLiteral• PrimaryPrimary• SecondarySecondary• LocalisationLocalisation• AssistedAssisted• AutomatedAutomated• Screen translationScreen translation• AdministrativeAdministrative• Loan translationLoan translation• SubstitutionalSubstitutional• Through-translation Through-translation

• LegalLegal• LiteraryLiterary• MedicalMedical• ScientificScientific• TechnicalTechnical• FinancialFinancial• LegalLegal• AcademicAcademic• CommercialCommercial• PedagogicalPedagogical• InterpretiveInterpretive• SituationalSituational• CulturalCultural

Translation-related skillsTranslation-related skills

• Establish main purposeEstablish main purpose• Understand fine detailUnderstand fine detail• Infer meaning from Infer meaning from

contextcontext• Extract key informationExtract key information• Decode source languageDecode source language• Resolve ambiguitiesResolve ambiguities• Reformulate informationReformulate information

• Substitute cultural Substitute cultural equivalentequivalent

• Omit superfluous Omit superfluous informationinformation

• Expand for clarificationExpand for clarification• Explain incongruitiesExplain incongruities• Adapt contentAdapt content• Check and correctCheck and correct• Verify suitability for purposeVerify suitability for purpose

• Demonstrate general understandingDemonstrate general understanding• Demonstrate mastery of idiomatic usageDemonstrate mastery of idiomatic usage• Balance accuracy against coherenceBalance accuracy against coherence

Milestones in ELTMilestones in ELT

• 1783: 1783: First formalised G-T course First formalised G-T course (Prussia)(Prussia)

• 1878: 1878: Direct method (Berlitz)Direct method (Berlitz)• 1950s: 1950s: Audio-lingual (Skinner)Audio-lingual (Skinner)• 1960s: 1960s: Generative grammar (Chomsky)Generative grammar (Chomsky)• 1970s: 1970s: Systemic functional linguistics Systemic functional linguistics

(Halliday)(Halliday)• 1981: 1981: The Acquisition-Learning The Acquisition-Learning

Distinction Distinction (Krashen)(Krashen)

Krashen 1Krashen 1

Krashen claims his theory isKrashen claims his theory is

““consistent with the way thousands of consistent with the way thousands of people have acquired second languages people have acquired second languages throughout history, and in many cases throughout history, and in many cases acquired them very well. They acquired acquired them very well. They acquired second languages while they were focused second languages while they were focused on something else, while they were gaining on something else, while they were gaining interesting or needed information, or interesting or needed information, or interacting with people they liked to be interacting with people they liked to be with." with." (Krashen, D. Principles of Second Language Acquisition, 1981)

Krashen 2Krashen 2

“… “… acquisition differs from learning acquisition differs from learning in two major ways: acquisition is slow in two major ways: acquisition is slow and subtle, while learning is fast and, and subtle, while learning is fast and, for some people, obvious.... ” (ibid.)for some people, obvious.... ” (ibid.)

Key questionsKey questions

• WHO are the learners?WHO are the learners?• WHY are they learning a language?WHY are they learning a language?• WHERE am I teaching?WHERE am I teaching?• WHAT should I be teaching?WHAT should I be teaching?• HOW should I teach?HOW should I teach?

• WHO WHY WHERE WHAT --> HOWWHO WHY WHERE WHAT --> HOW

On current teacher On current teacher trainingtraining

The downside to this, however, is that a considerable number of inexperienced teachers, having been discouraged from using their students' L1, develop and maintain an almost visceral view of translation as 'something that must not be done', perhaps without having seriously weighed up the issues involved.” (Owen 2003)

The monolingual fallacyThe monolingual fallacy

““The monolingual fallacy ensures The monolingual fallacy ensures that speakers of centre-based that speakers of centre-based Englishes can market themselves as Englishes can market themselves as teachers in periphery communities teachers in periphery communities without having acquired any without having acquired any proficiency in the local languages.” proficiency in the local languages.” (Canagarajah 1999)(Canagarajah 1999)

Points to rememberPoints to remember

• Translation is a valuable resource. Translation is a valuable resource. Not to use it would be extremely Not to use it would be extremely wasteful.wasteful.

• Students do it all the time.Students do it all the time.

• Translation is a real-life skill.Translation is a real-life skill.

What makes a good What makes a good translation?translation?

• A translation must give the words of the original.A translation must give the words of the original.• A translation must give the ideas of the original.A translation must give the ideas of the original.• A translation should read like an original work.A translation should read like an original work.• A translation should read like a translation.A translation should read like a translation.• A translation should reflect the style of the original.A translation should reflect the style of the original.• A translation should possess the style of the translation.A translation should possess the style of the translation.• A translation should read as a contemporary of the original. A translation should read as a contemporary of the original. • A translation should read as a contemporary of the translation.A translation should read as a contemporary of the translation.• A translation may add to or omit from the originalA translation may add to or omit from the original• A translation may never add to or omit from the original.A translation may never add to or omit from the original.• A translation of verse shold be in prose.A translation of verse shold be in prose.• A translation of verse should be in verse.A translation of verse should be in verse.

(T. H. Savory, The Art of Translation, Cape (T. H. Savory, The Art of Translation, Cape 1968)1968)

‘‘Pedagogic’ translationPedagogic’ translation

““Teaching English is closely tied to Teaching English is closely tied to teaching translation methods ... teaching translation methods ... when students translate, they when students translate, they unconsciously follow three steps: unconsciously follow three steps: analysis, transfer and restructuring.” analysis, transfer and restructuring.” (Petrocchi, 2006)(Petrocchi, 2006)

Reasons for using Reasons for using translationtranslation

• What the students think and feel is What the students think and feel is importantimportant

• Translation helps develop reading skillsTranslation helps develop reading skills• Translation is a conscious process of Translation is a conscious process of

learninglearning• Translation is a communicative activityTranslation is a communicative activity• Translation is a useful evaluative Translation is a useful evaluative

techniquetechnique

Translation is ...Translation is ...

• a a communicativecommunicative activity activity • lexicallexical in nature in nature• suited to suited to task-basedtask-based exercises exercises• ideal for ideal for discovery discovery learninglearning

The teacher’s challengeThe teacher’s challenge

• Who am I?Who am I?• What skills do I have?What skills do I have?

– Am I aware of my hidden talents?Am I aware of my hidden talents?– Am I aware of my limitations?Am I aware of my limitations?

Basic techniquesBasic techniques

• Use pre-translated materialsUse pre-translated materials• Exploit peer-group teaching Exploit peer-group teaching • Employ back translation (translating Employ back translation (translating

from one language into another and from one language into another and then back into the original language)then back into the original language)

Translation is compatible Translation is compatible with...with...

• Face-to-face teachingFace-to-face teaching• Online tutoringOnline tutoring• Blended learningBlended learning• Community interactionCommunity interaction• Virtual learning environmentsVirtual learning environments• Second LifeSecond Life

Basic suggestionsBasic suggestions

• When an When an exercise involves translating exercise involves translating into English, tell your students that you into English, tell your students that you are using translation as a teaching aid, are using translation as a teaching aid, that the goal is not to produce a perfect that the goal is not to produce a perfect translation but to learn from the activity.translation but to learn from the activity.

• When translating into the Students’ L1, When translating into the Students’ L1, focus on the notion of decoding as an aid focus on the notion of decoding as an aid to understanding English.to understanding English.

SummarySummary

Translation is a valuable resource. Translation is a valuable resource. It is a highly a It is a highly a communicativecommunicative activity. It favours a activity. It favours a lexicallexical approach, is compatible with approach, is compatible with task-task-basedbased and and discovery learningdiscovery learning and is and is ideally suited to incorporation in a ideally suited to incorporation in a blended learningblended learning course. course.