Translation and Language Learning: Untapped Potential of Functionalist Approach to Translation in the Foreign Language Classroom
Abstract
Since the 1970s, the foreign language classroom has been more or less dominated by the principles of the Communicative Approach, which following the shift away from the teaching of language systems in isolation to teaching them in real communication views translation rather negatively. Nevertheless, Functionalist Approaches to translation - describe this in the foreign language classroom somewhat marginalized phenomenon as "a specific kind of communicative action" (Schäffner and Wiesemann 2001: 9), which clearly represents a sort of promising liaison between the principles of Communicative Language Teaching and a possible re-introduction of translation into the foreign language classroom.
The present paper aims to explore the creative and so far unfulfilled potential of Functionalist Approach to translation in the foreign language classroom and discuss its obvious benefit and new possibilities.