Translation into L2 Not a Shameful but a Valid Practice in the Market and the Classroom

Abstract

The article focuses on the issue of directionality, i.e. the practice when translators and interpreters work into their foreign language. First, the status of translation into the translator’s second language (L2 or B) in Translation Studies writings is discussed, arguing that translation into L2 is gaining more TS theoretical attention lately. Then an empirical work investigating teaching of translation into L2 is presented: first, the article investigates whether the assumption that teaching staff should only teach a course unit in translation into their A language is valid and supported by factual evidence. Based on the responses to questionnaires and transcriptions of video recordings of the lessons conducted by 6 translation teachers (2 bilingual, 2 native and 2 non-native speakers of the TL), it is argued that, despite differences in teaching strategies, each of these three groups can contribute to the teaching process in L2 translation class, but that it would be useful to engage bilingual teachers and teachers who are native speakers of the TL at more advanced levels of translation training. Second, the article focuses on the competences of students when translating into their languages B and C. Examining 580 final translation exams taken between 2010 and 2015 at the MA programme of translation at the University of Ljubljana (Slovenia), it has been established that on average students tend to perform slightly better when translating into their L1 (esp. with language C). However, there is a strong correlation between the grades for translation into L2 and those for translation into L1 an individual student gets. It is therefore concluded that students’ performance seem to depend mainly on their acquisition of the translation service provision competence (which does not seem to be dependent on the directionality) and not so much on the acquisition of language competence. Refs 30. Fig 1. Tables 7.