Reinforcing the teaching of translation in Beninese Secondary Schools: A new challenge for EFL teachers

Abstract

This paper dealt with, after the scrutiny of advanced learners’ translation skills, the necessity of reinforcing the teaching of translation skills as a potentially effective method of teaching/learning English as a Foreign Language (EFL)in Benin high schools. In fact, the Beninese EFL learners study English for almost about seven years (four years in the first cycle and three years in the second) before joining university. For the last three years, they are exposed to translation skills during evaluation. Unfortunately, the designed curriculum has nowhere mentioned the teaching/learning/evaluation of translation. This paper then examined, through a well-established methodology based on field research investigation and questionnaires, some translation excerpts by EFL learners and hypotheses that no translation techniques are taught by teachers before evaluation. It finally concludes that the poor grades the learners culled are due to the lack of practice with their teachers who, in turn, have received no professional training in the matter.

Key Words: translation, evaluation, techniques of translation, communicative performance, source language, target language.