FP036 – TEACHING ENGLISH THROUGH TRANSLATION
ASSIGNMENT
General information
This assignment must be done in groups and has to fulfil the following conditions:
Length: between 6 and 8 pages (without including cover, index or appendices –if
there are any-).
Type of font: Arial or Times New Roman.
Size: 11.
Line height: 1.5.
Alignment: Justified.
The assignment has to be done in this Word document and has to fulfil the rules of
presentation and edition, as for quotes and bibliographical references which are
detailed in the Study Guide.
Also, it has to be submitted following the procedure specified in the “Subject
Evaluation” document. Sending it to the tutor’s e-mail is not permitted.
In addition to this, it is very important to read the assessment criteria, which can be
found in the “Subject Evaluation” document.
ASSIGNMENT:
In 2013, the European Union did a report on translation and language learning
(Translation and Language Learning: The role of translation in the teaching of
languages in the European Union, summary. Brussels: Eu Law and Publications).
[Please see the .pdf document that you will find under the “Assignment” icon].
There was also a small presentation of the report followed by a questions & answer
session, which can be found in YouTube as “Translation and language learning – open
discussion” (here and here, for example).
Read the report and answer the questions:
1. What is the most relevant conclusions reached in the report, in your opinion?
2. What is the most unexpected conclusion reached in the report, in your opinion?
3. If you are in Europe, do you think it is accurate for the country you live in /a country
you know well? Why?
4. If you are not in Europe, do you think the survey in your country would yield similar
results? Why?
5. What conclusions can you draw for your professional development.
Important: you have to write your personal details, the option and the subject
name on the cover (see the next page). The assignment that does not fulfil these
conditions will not be corrected. You have to include the assignment index
below the cover.
Students' first and last name(s):
Milena Clotilde Asangono Ndong Milam
Luciana Mokuy Abeso Nkara
Ochoa Toala, Rosario Esperanza
Group: FP_TEFL_2023_10
Date: June 30th, 2025
1. What are the most relevant conclusions reached in the report, in your opinion?
Considering all of the intriguing conclusions surrounding the translation issue, we
want to highlight that the one that is most pertinent to us is the one that holds that
translation ought to be acknowledged as a useful and adaptable teaching tool and
regarded as a fifth fundamental skill in addition to speaking, writing, listening, and
reading because it is a natural part of the language-learning process and the
strategies that could be applied to improve second language learning. we want to
highlight what is likely one of the most intriguing conclusions from the Translation
and Language Learning research and report: An overview of the function of
translation in EU language instruction. This conclusion marks a significant shift from
traditional language teaching paradigms, especially those based on the
communicative approach, which has long discouraged the use of learners’ first
language (L1) and rejected translation in favour of total immersion in the target
language (L2).
The report challenges this exclusion by presenting strong theoretical arguments
and empirical evidence showing that translation can enhance language acquisition
in both cognitive and communicative dimensions. Translation promotes contrastive
analysis, allowing learners to observe and understand the structural and semantic
differences between their native language and the language they are learning. This
process develops metalinguistic awareness, enabling learners to grasp grammar
rules, vocabulary nuances, and stylistic choices more consciously.
The benefits of using translation as a teaching method are more than anticipated,
which is noteworthy when considering the survey results and the conclusions
drawn from the report.
Teaching a foreign language through subtitles and encouraging plurilingualism and
interculturality through mediation and interpretation appear to be successful
alternatives, as "intercomprehension" is a desirable skill that learners who are
intended to become bilingual, polyglot, or multicultural are expected to acquire. The
European Union has coined the term "intercomprehension" to refer to a more
comprehensive approach to language instruction, specifically the use of underlying
language proficiency to facilitate access to additional languages. The various
definitions of this term obviously presume some sort of scaffolding technique
associated with the translation area, according to Burley, S., and Pomphrey (2003).
Another crucial insight from the report is that translation is not limited to written
texts. It encompasses a range of classroom activities, such as dialogue
interpreting, summarizing content for peers, correcting machine-translated texts, or
working with subtitles and dubbing in media. These tasks encourage creativity,
problem-solving, and collaborative learning—features that are increasingly
emphasized in modern pedagogies.
The CEFR's stance on the use of translation is also a fascinating topic to examine
because it takes into account globalisation and the way that modern students
interact with a changing world and society where there is a constant need to learn
how to interpret meaning in the digital age and obtain information from various
cultures in a variety of fields, including the arts, music, literature, science, politics,
economy, and more.
Given its obvious benefits of helping students develop multilingual interests,
exposing them to a wider cultural context, and preparing them for
internationalisation without the use of translation techniques, CLIL could also be
viewed as an adversary and a kind of translation enemy.
Translation appears to be viewed as an outdated approach that is not taken
seriously in language instruction, and it is clear that the majority of the countries
that responded to the survey preferred this method or language immersion over the
traditional methods.
Another significant conclusion from this study is the use of mental translation, which
eventually happens consciously or unconsciously even though many teachers and
students are unaware of it in their teaching methods.
Therefore, this conclusion calls for a paradigm shift in language education,
advocating for the systematic inclusion of translation in curricula, the development
of appropriate teaching materials, and the training of teachers in how to design and
implement effective translation-based activities. By doing so, education systems
can offer a richer, more holistic, and more inclusive approach to language learning
—one that reflects the complexities and demands of our interconnected world.
