Translation Teaching: The Importance of the Translator’s Native Language

Abstract

In the process of translation, student translators often neglect the importance of the knowledge of their mother tongue. When selecting the appropriate vocabulary, students tend to use colloquial language for a written text. They also often ignore cultural factors that would make their translations inappropriate. A new model of teaching, inspired by Bassnett’s (2002) analysis of alcoholic beverage advertisements was designed for students to practise in class. Students evaluated their translation process by using a multidisciplinary method proposed by Newmark (1988). Students learn to recognize how translation works by using effective strategies to solve translation problems. This study investigated the problems faced by Taiwanese students when translating a text from Spanish to Chinese in a junior-year translation course at the B1 level at Tamkang University.