January 2011 “Can translation (and translation tools) facilitate language learning and how can it be used to best effect” – 12.01.2011
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Does the teacher need to be in control or is it a way of handing over learning to the students?
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Have multilingual classes translate poems etc into their own language
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It can be extremely useful especially in ESP courses.
Get multilingual classes to translate into their L1s, then give ‘literal’ translations back into English -
Fixing a bad translation into English is a great activity
Learners’ conversation are much more natural if they think about what they would say in L1 in the context before thinking about L2 -
Translating songs
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Writing subtitles in L1 for a TV clip
Scraps of paper: L1 one side, L2 the other. Put in circle. Roll dice, say translation (works for very clear direct equivalents) Getting students to translate L1 newspaper stories into L2 in summary and then present – works in reverse too L1 can also be used for input or conversation trigger. For instance, a newspaper article in L1, but discussion in L2. Drama activity: Students act out scene in L1 then watch it in L2 – great for cultural and paralinguistic features For business lessons replicating real situations useful, e.g., getting students to explain menu, news headlines, signs, etc. -
Translation great for practising reported speech as it should be practiced
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Students can build list of troublesome false cognates
task
Find a badly translated menu and get students to improve it – mostly food vocabulary but a real
Links The full transcript An Interview with Guy Cook
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