The methodological structure of a language A to language B translation textbook

Authors

  • Dmitry Yermolovich Moscow State Linguistic University, Moscow, Russia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.33919/esnbu.15.1.3

Keywords:

teaching translation, non-mother tongue translation, A2B translation, language B translation, translation textbook, textbook methodology, instructional principles

Abstract

The paper is based on the author’s experience of writing a Russian-English translation textbook and looks into the methodology of teaching students to translate into their non-mother tongue (language B). It is argued that a textbook delivering a course on general, rather than specialized, translation should move away from the popular format of text samples followed by glossaries and comments. Instead, the primary focus should be made on the utterance as the principal unit of translation. Utterances need to be analysed in terms of the situations which they reflect and their semantic class components (objects, events, abstracts, and relations). This approach, termed semantic-situational, can help make the learning and teaching of Language A to Language B translation more consistent and streamlined.

Author Biography

Dmitry Yermolovich, Moscow State Linguistic University, Moscow, Russia

Dmitry Yermolovich, PhD, DSc (Moscow State linguistic University), is a Professor with the Department
of Translation Studies and English, Faculty of Translation and Interpreting, Moscow State Linguistic
University (Russia). His research interests include translation theory, comparative onomastics and
bilingual lexicography. He is the author of several translation textbooks and a long list of dictionaries,
such as the New Comprehensive Russian-English Dictionary (Russky Yazyk, Moscow), and the Russian
Practical Dictionary (Hippocrene, New York). His poetry translations include a book of Lewis Carroll’s
verse in Russian

References

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Yermolovich, D. (2007). PerevodÄik v sfere professional’noj kommunikacii – Äto èto takoe? [Translation in the Sphere of Professional Communication – What’s That Supposed to Mean?]. Tetradi perevodÄika, 26, 194–198.

Yermolovich, D. (2014a). Russko-anglijskij perevod. UÄebnik dlja vuzov po obrazovatel’noj programme "Perevod i perevodovedenie" [Russian-English Translation. A University-level Coursebook for Students of Translation and Translation Studies]. Moskva: Auditoria.

Yermolovich, D. (2014b). MetodiÄeskie ukazanija i kljuÄi k uÄebniku "Russko-anglijskij perevod" [Methodological Notes and Answer Keys for the Coursebook on Russian-English Translation]. Moskva: Auditoria.

Yermolovich, D. (ed.) (2000). Programma kursa perevoda (anglijskij jazyk) dlja perevodÄeskogo fakul’teta MGLU [A Syllabus of a Course in English Translation]. Moskva: MGLU.

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Published

2015-02-01

How to Cite

Yermolovich, D. (2015). The methodological structure of a language A to language B translation textbook. English Studies at NBU, 1(1), 32–45. https://doi.org/10.33919/esnbu.15.1.3

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Articles