ESSAYS

By Wilson Meneses

POSTULATE

Atkinson (1987) suggests that activities that involve some translation promote guessing strategies amongst students and helps reduce the word-for- word translation that often occurs and which results in inappropriate L2 use.

For Atkinson, the use of the mother tongue in learning a second language is important although there is no formal investigation to support this thesis, which is why many English teachers do not use it in communication with their students and there are others who They feel guilty of acting against the principles of good teaching when they use the mother tongue in the students in order to facilitate the learning.

Does translation in the classroom accelerate or retard the learning process? Advocates of this postulate warn that although there may be some negative effects, with careful application directed to the fulfillment of the proposed objective and based on concrete situations, the use of translation can contribute to the acquisition of a second language, becoming a suitable tool for Develop the necessary skills in the learning of it.

According to recent articles argue that there is no reason why translation activities cannot be incorporated into a communicatively based lesson, and they promote different activities that suit the different goals and aims of students (Atkinson: 1987; Edge: 1986; Heltai: 1989; Tudor: 1986).

 This is the reason by which Atkinson (1987) suggests that activities that involve some translation promote guessing strategies amongst students and helps reduce the word-for- word translation that often occurs and which results in inappropriate L2 use. Translation jobs allow beginner students to learn vocabulary and advanced students gives them a new goal in their studies.

 Personally the work of translation has been important to me because I learn more vocabulary, I believe that it is necessary to implement in the classroom translation exercises for specific purposes because in this way increases reading comprehension, develop the necessary skills and Accelerates the learning of a second language.

By Leanis Judith Gomez

Postulate:

      Leonardi (2010), translation enhances critical reading skills, improves grammatical awareness and language proficiency, facilitates vocabulary acquisition, and develops intercultural competence.

      According to Leonardi's postulate, the translation helps the student look for tools that allow him to enrich his vocabulary through word lending, because when translated from one language to another, the presence of words of different Contexts can support the communicative intent that the translator wants to convey.

However, in words spoken by Leonardi (2010) “a widely held view among ELT practitioners, translation requires a high level of proficiency and thus it is not suitable to be employed at early stages of learning”. This means that in a process of learning a foreign language initially it is not convenient to translate immediately, because it can lead to common translation errors. False cognates can confuse the intent of the message to be translated. However, translation techniques can be introduced when they are carefully planned and designed.

Translation involves different cognitive abilities, which translates directly into the text and context. Translating allows the translator to explore the various possibilities of meanings that best fit the needs of the context, that is to say what he wants to convey a text. It is therefore possible to defend the postulate of Leonardi, in which he affirms that the translation improves the reading skills, broadens the vocabulary and develops the intercultural competence. But this is possible when you learn how to translate correctly. It is not a literal translation mistaken to confuse the reader.

By Maritza López Castillo

POSTULATE

     Kavaliauskiene G. (2009) says that translation does not help students to develop communication skills. Translation activities may be suitable for students who prefer analytical or verbal-linguistic learning strategies.

The translation was the basis of language teaching for a long time, and then rejected as new methodologies began to appear. With the appearance and influence of communicative methodologies, the translation was quickly given to the old together with other routine tools such as dictation, reading aloud and exercises.

  This was not a positive learning experience for many: as well as learners memorizing huge lists of rules and vocabulary, this method involved them translating whole literary or historic texts word for word. 

Kavaliauskienė G. (2009) says “that translation does not help students to develop communication skills. Translation activities may be suitable for students who prefer analytical or verbal-linguistic learning strategies”.

Translate word by word in a speaking and listening dialogue could become spendable, because there is no time to understand all the words, but the speaker can make a relationship between the context and the main words of the conversation to understand the meaning of the message. Also the translation in the mother lingua doesn’t allow the speaker think in the second language and get the message in the second language.

Grammar is a dispensable for a correct communication in books and literacy works. It can increases the vocabulary agility; but no the verbal agility. So, it doesn’t enrich the communicative competence, because when reading or translate, the user doesn’t use the listening competences, modulation, voice variation and intonation of the words of other people.

Communicative competences are the day by day interaction with people. General world becomes more communicative daily, and the translation has its part on the letters, texts and the rigorous thought.

Nowadays teachers should design and create active classes due to translation requires a motivated class, besides translation is a real-life and increasingly necessary in a global environment. Many learners living in either their own countries or a new one need to translate language on a daily basis, both informally and formally. Stuff like these make translation essential learning any another language.