Teaching translation into the second language via the Wiki tool of the Blackboard

1. Teaching translation into the second language via the Wiki tool of the Blackboard Kazuki Morimoto University of Leeds Languages for the 21st Century: Training, Impact and Influence, University of Sheffield

2. Objectives • To discuss possible benefits of L1→L2 translation exercises • To showcase our new translation exercises using Blackboard Wiki, and explain its merits over the conventional methods • To examine students’ experience of the Wiki translation exercises based on a questionnaire Languages for the 21st Century: Training, Impact and Influence, University of Sheffield

3. Translation = L2→L1 ? • In the field of translation studies, translation into the second language has been ignored or discouraged: “(…) Translation should therefore proceed from foreign language to one’s mother tongue and never vice-versa, since hidden essence of the target language is not attainable by any foreign speaker.” (William von Humboldt cited in Pokorn 2005(Undelined by presenter)) “(…) A foreigner appears to go on making collocational mistakes however long he lives his adopted country (…) For the above reasons, translator rightly translate into their own language, and fortiori, foreign teachers and students are normally unsuitable in a translation course. “ (Newmark 1981:180 cited in Pokorn 2005 (Underlined by presenter)) Languages for the 21st Century: Training, Impact and Influence, University of Sheffield

4. Why L1→L2 Translation? • Socio-cultural necessity (Campbell 1998) • Immigrants in Australia • Forestry in Finland • Training of professional skills • Pedagogical merits • Acquisition of various writing styles (Campbell 1998) • Pay more attention to linguistic forms than for L2 compositions (Uzawa 1996) • Produce language of better quality than in L2 compositions (Kobayashi and Rinnert 1992, Uzawa 1996) • Collective feedback Languages for the 21st Century: Training, Impact and Influence, University of Sheffield

5. Conventional methods – How to teach Languages for the 21st Century: Training, Impact and Influence, University of Sheffield

6. Conventional methods - Problems • No collaboration/comparison among students while translating texts at home • Takes too much time to re-write his/her translation(s) on the board/transparency • Less time available for teacher’s feedback and students’ discussions • Some shy students don’t want to present his/her translation(s) Languages for the 21st Century: Training, Impact and Influence, University of Sheffield

7. Use of Blackboard Wiki What are Wikis? Wikis are websites that allow you to create and edit pages in your web browser. (…) Students can cooperatively write, critique and publish their work online, create shared knowledgebases for their module/organisation, upload multimedia, link to external websites, all without touching a website authoring program. In Blackboard, you can turn a wiki into a challenging groupwork activtiy and use built in tools to assess student participation. (http://www.leeds.ac.uk/vle/staff/guides/wikis.htm) Languages for the 21st Century: Training, Impact and Influence, University of Sheffield

8. Blackboard: Login Languages for the 21st Century: Training, Impact and Influence, University of Sheffield

9. Blackboard: Creating Wikis Assignment → Select → Wiki Languages for the 21st Century: Training, Impact and Influence, University of Sheffield

10. Blackboard Wiki: Uploading STs Source text (English) Languages for the 21st Century: Training, Impact and Influence, University of Sheffield

11. Blackboard Wiki: Sending translations Other students’ translations (Japanese) Students can upload their own translations from here. Languages for the 21st Century: Training, Impact and Influence, University of Sheffield

12. Blackboard Wiki: Can be anonymous Date, Time and Writer (Full name, Given name or User name) Languages for the 21st Century: Training, Impact and Influence, University of Sheffield

13. New method – Use of Blackboard Wiki Languages for the 21st Century: Training, Impact and Influence, University of Sheffield

14. Sample PowerPoint Slide Student A’s translation Teacher’s feedback for the better translation Languages for the 21st Century: Training, Impact and Influence, University of Sheffield

15. Student Survey Please give a number to each question according to the table above. Languages for the 21st Century: Training, Impact and Influence, University of Sheffield

16. Student Survey Results Did you like the English-Japanese translation exercises? Level 2 (3rd year students) Level 3 (4th year students) Languages for the 21st Century: Training, Impact and Influence, University of Sheffield

17. Student Survey Results Did the translation exercise encourage you to use more advanced grammar and/or vocabulary than you normally use in writing a composition? Level 2 Level 3 Languages for the 21st Century: Training, Impact and Influence, University of Sheffield

18. Student Survey Results Did you always contribute to the Wiki translation on the VLE (Virtual Learning Environment: Uni. of Leeds’ version of Blackboard)? Level 2 Level 3 Languages for the 21st Century: Training, Impact and Influence, University of Sheffield

19. Student Survey Results Was it easy to use the Wiki translation on the VLE? Level 2 Level 3 Languages for the 21st Century: Training, Impact and Influence, University of Sheffield

20. Student Survey Results Did you often compare your translations with others’ while writing? Level 2 Level 3 Languages for the 21st Century: Training, Impact and Influence, University of Sheffield

21. Student Survey Results Was the class time spent effectively? Level 2 Level 3 Languages for the 21st Century: Training, Impact and Influence, University of Sheffield

22. Student Survey Results Did you always learn something by comparing with your classmates’ translations? Level 2 Level 3 Languages for the 21st Century: Training, Impact and Influence, University of Sheffield

23. Student Survey Results Did you receive enough feedback on your translations? Level 2 Level 3 Languages for the 21st Century: Training, Impact and Influence, University of Sheffield

24. Student Survey Results • Please write any aspects you like about the translation exercises. • (Level 2) • The teacher provided good advice about how to create natural-sounding translation. • It is a good way to introduce new grammar into work. • It encouraged me to use vocabulary that I didn’t already know. • E-J translation is unnatural, and helps understanding of Japanese in general. • The translation were a challenge, but pushed you to try hard. • Translating into Japanese is good for our practical Japanese skills. • It’s nice to get writing exercises without having to get confused about how to express your own opinions, etc. Languages for the 21st Century: Training, Impact and Influence, University of Sheffield

25. Student Survey Results • (Level 3) • Good way to prepare for the summer exam. • The (teacher’s) example translation was helpful. • Good for vocabulary and grammar practice, and picking up some new vocabulary. • Being able to compare translation with other students’. • It is an important part to studying the language and useful tool in the future. • It makes the language learning more practical. • Translating sentences into Japanese helps me to learn some useful phrases that are commonly used in writing composition. Languages for the 21st Century: Training, Impact and Influence, University of Sheffield

26. Student Survey Results • Please write any aspects you do not like about the translation exercises. • (Level 2) • Sometimes English in the translation wasn’t very good. • Feedback could be very vague sometimes. Learning why certain grammar points have certain nuances would be helpful. • Some students were constantly lazy about participating. • (Level 3) • Lack of individual feedback • Topics used wee either uninteresting, too difficult or business-oriented. • You could easily copy other’s if you wanted. • Although comparisons with my fellow classmates were good, I felt that most of us were writing similar answers (i.e. usually based on what our dictionary told us.) Languages for the 21st Century: Training, Impact and Influence, University of Sheffield

27. Conclusion • The Blackboard Wiki can provide an effective learning opportunity for translation exercises, depending on the source texts and the students’ interest and motivation. • Students should be encouraged to compare their translations with others’ in order to enhance their learning experiences. • Effective feedback methods need to be considered. • The possibility of students’ collaborative translations, as well as L2→L1 translations, could be explored in the future. Languages for the 21st Century: Training, Impact and Influence, University of Sheffield

28. References Campbell, S. (1998) Translation into the Second Language. New York: Addison Wesley Longman. Kobayashi, H. and Rinnert, C. (1992) Effects of first language on second language writing: Translation versus direct composition. Language Learning, 42(2), 183-215. Pokorn, N.K. (2005) Challenging the Traditional Axioms: Translation into a non-mother tongue. Amsterdam & Philadelphia: John Benjamins. Uzawa, K. (1996) Second language learner’s process of L1 writing, L2 writing, and translation from L1 into L2. Journal of Second Language Writing, 5(3), 271-294. Languages for the 21st Century: Training, Impact and Influence, University of Sheffield