The Teacher´s Translation Knowledge and Skills as Factors of Quality and Creativity in Teaching Foreign Languages

master's thesis

• Title (croatian): Prevoditeljska znanja i vještine učitelja kao čimbenici kvalitete i kreativnosti u nastavi stranih jezika
• Author: Filipa Peh
• Mentor: Lovorka Zergollern-Miletić (mentor)
• Committee member: Kristina Cergol Kovačević (predsjednik povjerenstva)
• Committee member: Jelena Parizoska (član povjerenstva)
• Committee member: Lovorka Zergollern-Miletić (član povjerenstva)
• Granter: University of Zagreb; Faculty of Teacher Education; Zagreb
• Defense date and country: 2017-09, Croatia
• Scientific / art field, discipline and subdiscipline: HUMANISTIC SCIENCES; Philology; Anglistics
• Scientific / art field, discipline and subdiscipline: HUMANISTIC SCIENCES; Interdisciplinary Humanistic Studies; Teaching Methods in the Humanistic Sciences

Abstract

The focus of this thesis paper is the positive effect that translating can have on teaching and/or learning a foreign language. Translation was, for a part of history, the only language learning method, used for extensive translating of mostly religious texts. With the improvement of education and teaching methodology, translation lost its place in classrooms because of the hypothesis that it is simply not a method that could have a positive effect on foreign language learning. In the last few decades, translation has slowly started to return as one of numerous teaching methods with the intent of improving language learning. Combined with other methods, more commonly found in foreign language classrooms, translating can prove beneficial both for the foreign language teacher, and the foreign language learner, in terms of gaining a much broader image of the foreign language, raising cultural awareness about the foreign language, and the mother tongue, and, finally, raising awareness of the languages involved in translation activities. As the author of this thesis is nearing the completion of her studies at the Faculty of Teacher Education in Zagreb, her focus is teaching EFL to primary school learners. As a part of this thesis, the author provides two examples of translating children’s literature. One of the texts is an originally English text translated into Croatian, a fragment of Roald Dahl’s Matilda, and the other originally Croatian, translated into English, an extract from Zvonimir Balog’s Zmajevi i vukodlaci. Those two translations serve as the basis for translation activities which could be conducted with EFL learners in Croatian schools. The author justifies the statement that translation could be seen as a productive language learning activity by describing a short ‘pilot-study’ conducted with a limited number of two sixth grade examinees, which proved the claim to be accurate.

Abstract (croatian)

Fokus je ovoga rada pozitivan učinak koji prevođenje može imati na učenje te poučavanje stranog jezika. Prevođenje je jedan dio povijesti bilo jedina metoda učenja jezika, kojom se služilo za vrijeme iscrpnog prevođenja uglavnom vjerskih tekstova. Kako je obrazovanje napredovalo, zajedno s metodologijom poučavanja jezika, prevođenje je izgubilo svoje mjesto u učionici zbog pretpostavke da ono jednostavno nije metoda koja bi mogla imati pozitivan učinak na učenje jezika. Posljednjih nekoliko desetljeća, prevođenje se ipak postupno vraća kao jedna od više nastavnih metoda, sa svrhom poboljšanja učenja jezika. U kombinaciji s ostalim metodama, uobičajenijima u poučavanju stranih jezika, prevođenje se pokazuje kao učinkovito, kako za učitelja stranog jezika, tako i za učenike stranog jezika u smislu stjecanja šire slike o stranome jeziku te podizanja kulturne svijesti o stranome jeziku, kao i o materinskom jeziku. Težište je ovoga rada na poučavanju engleskog kao stranog jezika u kontekstu osnovnoškolskoga uzrasta, s obzirom da je autorica na kraju obrazovanja na Učiteljskom Fakultetu u Zagrebu. Kao dio rada, autorica prezentira dva primjera prijevoda dječje literature – jedan je prijevod teksta s engleskog na hrvatski jezik, dio knjige Matilda, autora Roalda Dahla, dok je drugi prijevod s hrvatskog na engleski jezik, dio knjige Zvonimira Baloga, Zmajevi i Vukodlaci. Ta dva prijevoda mogu poslužiti kao podloga za više prevoditeljskih aktivnosti u nastavi engleskog kao stranog jezika u hrvatskim školama. Autorica potkrepljuje svoje tvrdnje o prevođenju kao produktivnoj aktivnosti za učenje stranog jezika opisom kratkog 'pilot-istraživanja' provedenog s ograničenim brojem od dva ispitanika, učenika šestog razreda, a čiji su rezultati pokazali navedene tvrdnje točnima.

• Keywords: translating; translating as a teaching method; EFL
• Keywords (croatian): prevođenje; prevođenje kao nastavna metoda; engleski kao strani jezik
• Language: english
• URN:NBN: urn:nbn:hr:147:848401
• Study programme: Title: Integrated Undergraduate and Graduate University Programme of Study of Primary Teacher Education and Integrated Undergraduate and Graduate University Programme of Study for Primary Teacher Education with English and German Language; Study programme type: university; Study level: integrated undergraduate and graduate; Academic / professional title: magistar/magistra primarnog obrazovanja (magistar/magistra primarnog obrazovanja)
• Type of resource: Text
• File origin: Born digital
• Access conditions: Access restricted to students and staff of home institution
• Created on: 2019-05-06 13:18:25