L1, consensus nil: Factors affecting the erratic application of oral translation

概要

論文の詳細を見る
Abstract This paper reviews the rehabilitation of the learner's first language (L1) inpedagogic literature and, more specifically, the teacher's use of oral translation into theL1 as a vocabulary teaching technique. A survey conducted at a Japanese universityreveals that, while oral translation is applied in some way and to some extent by a vastmajority of EFL teachers, it is not subject to any consistent methodology and still suffersfrom credibility issues. The paper refers to teachers dispensing oral translation as if itwere a one-stop shortcut to learning and suggests that its application without prior orsubsequent complementation has become commonplace. Though this may be attributedto teachers being generally more cognizant of the restored legitimacy of the L1 than tothe finer details pertaining to its use, the paper suggests that this lack of criticality hasexacerbated feelings of confusion and guilt among the EFL community.
2011-07-31