Contributions are invited for a special issue of ITT dedicated to the teaching of various forms of written and oral translation in the undergraduate language classroom. In this educational context, students usually acquire translator and/or interpreter skills either in dedicated translation modules that are not primarily aimed at forming professional translators or in language modules where translation is used as a learning and assessment tool.
Over the past two decades there has been an increasing interest in (re)defining the place and role of translation in foreign language teaching, particularly as regards higher education. Current research into pedagogic translation in undergraduate degree programmes falls into three main areas:
- Theoretical considerations in favour of using various forms of translating for language teaching purposes
- Second Language Acquisition studies on the effectiveness of translation as part of form-focused instruction
- Development of translation-based language teaching methodologies
The aim of this special issue is to widen and diversify recent enquiries to include more interdisciplinary theories and a greater variety of linguistic, cultural and educational contexts worldwide. We are seeking research-based contributions that are firmly grounded in theory, are supported by empirical evidence and have been applied in pedagogic practice. Priority will be given to contributions that report on research already carried out, although reports on work in progress are also welcome.
Themes to be explored by contributors may include but are not restricted to the following:
- History of translation in foreign language pedagogy
- Translation-oriented language teaching techniques in the multilingual classroom
- Translation as a cognitive aid in second language acquisition
- The role of contrastive analysis and translation in meaning-focused instruction
- The use of interpreting exercises to enhance language learning (e.g. liaison, consecutive, or simultaneous)
- The use of exercises in audiovisual translation to enrich second language learning (e.g. dubbing, subtitling, voice over, or audio description for the blind)
- Translation as a language teaching and testing tool
- Translation as a motivational factor in language learning
- Learning styles and translation
- Translation as a communication strategy and a learning strategy
- The impact of current language policies on the revival of translation
- The use of corpora in translation-based language learning
- Language for Special Purposes and pedagogic translation
- Translation, glossodiversity and semiodiversity
- Creativity and translation in language education
- Teaching languages through translated literature
Articles should be between 6000 and 10000 words on average. Abstracts of no more than 500 words should be sent to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Copyright permission must be obtained by the contributor where necessary prior to publication. All articles published in ITT undergo rigorous peer review, based on initial editor screening and anonymized refereeing by at least two reviewers.
Schedule
15 June 2012 Deadline for submission of abstracts (of around 500 words)
1 September 2012 Selected contributors notified of acceptance of abstracts
1 February 2013 1st deadline for submission of papers
1 March 2013 Notification of provisional acceptance of papers
1 June 2013 Deadline for submission of final versions of papers to Guest Editor
March 2014 Publication date
