DIDACTIC ASPECTS OF TRANSLATION THEORIES

Abstract

The relationship between translation theory and translation pedagogy is undeniable. Translation studies developed, in fact, as a result of analysis and theoretical generalization of both professional and classroom translation activities. However, the views on the role of theory in translation instruction are rather controversial. Moreover, even though numerous studies have given detailed insights into translation theories, there are still issues to consider. Unexplored are didactic aspects of translation theories: to our knowledge, no research has discussed the didactic contribution of translation theorists to translation pedagogy. Hence the purpose of the paper is to carry out a critical analysis of literary, linguistic, communicative, and cognitive translation theories with a view to exploring and interpreting their didactic strengths and weaknesses. The research methodology relies on the analysis of available literature as well as textbooks in translation practice to discover the didactic contribution of translation theories to translation pedagogy. Noteworthy is the fact that every translation theory has contributed to the development of translation pedagogy as a branch of applied linguistics. Among the major gains of literary theory is textual approach to learning and teaching translation. Linguistic theory has provided the theoretical foundations for translation pedagogy and creating textbooks that meet the didactic requirements. Teaching translation from the standpoint of treating it as a process of communication has become the achievement of communicative theory. The gains of cognitive theory include the adoption of a competence-based approach to teaching translation, as well as the intensification of research efforts in the field of translation pedagogy. In addition to progressive aspects, the translation theories had certain shortcomings. Literary theory, for instance, rejected the idea of translation pedagogy because of perception of the activity as art. Linguistic theory overemphasized certain aspects of language in teaching translation and promoted the idea of interlingual equivalence. This idea has led to the absolute predominance of bilingual dictionaries in translation classrooms, which is currently considered unjustified. The concept of communicative equivalence, supported by the advocates of communicative theory, has negatively affected evaluation of classroom translations. Finally, cognitive theory is criticized for its failure to apply its theoretical concepts to the development of translation pedagogy.