TRANSLATION has not always enjoyed a good press. Indeed, at the height of what we can call the "communicative" period, it was regarded as a hindrance to second language fluency rather than an aid to language learning. But Tim Bowen, a teacher trainer at Embassy CES Language and Training Centre, UK, argues that translation can be used as a language learning tool in class.
Some learners appear to need to be able to relate lexis and structures in the target language to equivalents in their mother tongue. This also gives them the opportunity to compare similarities and contrast differences. In the case of teachers, an ability to translate into the mother tongue of the learners can offer a convenient and efficient way out of a tricky situation. Why bother to spend 10 minutes trying to explain the concept behind a particular utterance when a simple translation can achieve the same goal in seconds? For example, it is quite difficult to get across the meaning of useful, everyday expressions such as "As far as .... is concerned, ..." or "On the other hand .... ". Learning target language equivalents to key phrases like these in the mother tongue can be an extremely effective way to build up a good working vocabulary.
Translation also can be extremely creative. It is not only the translation of words from one language to another but the translation of ideas, concepts and images. Dull and overlong texts that are difficult to translate into the target language do little for motivation. But why should translation involve whole texts? Surely it is more relevant and practical to start with short, communicative pieces of language. When teaching grammatical structures, it can be very useful to check with learners that they have fully grasped the concept of the language taught by asking them to translate into their mother tongue. The structure used in "If I had worked harder, I would have passed the exam", for example, is relatively complex and a quick translation check can avoid misunderstandings.
An illuminating exercise is to divide your class into two groups, give each group a short text (3 to 4 sentences) to translate into the target language. Then get the groups to exchange papers and ask them to translate the other group's translation back into the mother tongue. The results, when compared, can be extremely interesting and often amusing.
