DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH STUDIES

MAJOR: LITERARY STUDIES/LINGUISTIC STUDIES

The role of translation in learning English as a second language: case study

(Undergraduate student of English studies at Mohamed First University
As a case study).

A Research Paper Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the

Degree of B.A in English Studies.

Submitted by: Mohammed Essoutouti

Registration N°: 1904969
Email: [email protected]
Supervised by: Rachida Fermas

[2021-2022]

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 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

First and foremost, I would like to express my thanks and gratitude to Allah who granted me
health, patience and support I need to finish my thesis.
I am grateful to my supervisor, DR. RACHIDA FERMAS without her guidance this task
would not have been completed.
My gratitude also extends to my family and friends, who provided assistance and guidance
throughout the process.

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 ABSTRACT

The current study, discusses the role of applying translation in English as a Second Language
(ESL) as a potentially effective way to improve learners’ second language. However, the use
of translation in ESL classrooms has and will continue to be a contentious topic. Thus, it is
hypothesized that the facilitation of the teaching and learning of a second language can be
achieved through translation. This notion has numerous supporters and detractors, and each
side has its own arguments. In order to validate our hypotheses, we applied QNT.
(quantitative) and QUAL. (qualitative) methods in collecting data; a questionnaire that was
given to the sample of third year English students at Mohammed First University (2021-
2022), which aims to explore how often Arabic is used in the English classes. Additionally,
the study covers the value of translation and the circumstances in which it is beneficial for
teaching and learning languages. The study aims to explore the role of translation in
improving communicative competence and whether it has an effective role in improving
students' language learning and performance. The results obtained from the data collection
showed that translation play a major role in improving students' communication skills. There
is a significant difference between the student who use translation and the others who do not.
This means translation plays an important role in improving their language performance. The
study came to the result that although Translation is a beneficial and effective tool in teaching
a second language, teachers shouldn't employ it in L2 classes too frequently because this
might cause students and teachers to lose sight of the semantic and pragmatic differences
between L1 and L2, rather to prevent L1 interference that might result in irrelevant
equivalences of L1 words in L2, teachers must actively encourage students to deduce meaning
from context.
Key Words: ESL, L1, L2, QUAL, QNT.

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 TABLE OF CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS………………………………………………………………………………II
ABSTRACT……………………………………………………………………………………………III
LIST OF TABLES AND FIGURES…………………………………………………………………..VI
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS………………………………………………………………………...VII
1. BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY………………………………………………………...VIII
2. PURPOSE OF THE STUDY…………………………………………………………………IX
3. STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM…………………………………………………………IX
4. SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY…………………………………………………………..IX
5. RESEARCH QUESTIONS…………………………………………………………………...IX
6. HYPOTHESIS…………………………………………………………………………………X

LITERATURE REVIEW…………………………………………………………….1
I. THE DEFINITION OF TRANSLATION……………………………………………………...2
1.
ACCORDING TO MANY SCHOLARS……………………………………………………....2
2.
TYPES OF TRANSLATION…………………………………………………………………..3
3.
PROCESS OF TRANSLATION………………………………………………………….……5
4.
EQUIVALENCE IN TRANSLATION………………………………………………………...6
II. HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF TRANSLATION……………………………………….7
1. EARLY HISTORY OF TRANSLATION……………………………………………………...7
2. TRANSLATION AND RELIGION……………………………………………………………7
3. MODERN TRANSLATION…………………………………………………………………...8

INVESTIGATION THE ROLE OF TRANSLATION IN LEARNING

ENGLISH, AS A SECOND LANGUAGE…………………………………………..9
SECTION1: TRANSLATION AS LANGUAGE LEARNING METHOD…………………………….9
I. PRACTICAL STEPS FOR USING TRNASLATION
AS A LANGUAGE LEARNING METHOD…………………………………………………..9
II. THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF LANGUAGE LEARNING……………………………………11
III. LEARNING WITHOUT TRANSLATION…………………………………………………..11
SECTION2 : FIELD WORK : THE CASE STUDY AT THE ENGLISH DEPARTMENT OF
FACULTY OF LETTERS AND HUMANITITES, MOHAMED FIRST OUJDA…………………...13
I. SAMPLE………………………………………………………………………………………13
II. METHODOLOGY……………………………………………………………………………13
III. DISCUSSION…………………………………………………………………………………17
GENERAL CONCLUSION………………………………………………………………….......……19
REFRENCE …………………………………………………………………………………………...18

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 List of abbreviations

L1 First Language
L2 Second Language
EFL English as a Foreign Language
ESL English as Second Language
QUAL Qualitative
QNT Quantitative
ELT English Language Teaching
ELL English Language Learning
TILT Translation in Language Teaching
SLA Second Language Acquisition
TL Target Language
SL Source Language
IL Interlanguage

List of tables

1. First table…………………13

2. Second table………...……13

3. Third table…….……….…14

4. Fourth table……………….14

5. Fifth table………………….15

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1. Background of study

It is important to distinguish between using translation in the classroom to help students

acquire languages and teaching translation as a talent for the workplace. Teachers who are

not native speakers typically agree that some translation is necessary while learning a

language. English language native instructors contend that any use of L1 or translation is a

waste of time and that L2 exposure should be maximized within the limited classroom

time. In the past, the majority of L2 teaching strategies mandated that L1 should not be

used in the classroom. In the 1970s and 1980s, communicative methods to language

learning discouraged the use of L1. However, there has lately been a favorable shift in

how mother tongue and translation are treated in language schools. Regarding the use of

L1 in the L2 classroom it’s crucial to find out how students themselves feel about the

usage of L1 in L2 classrooms, in a study on this topic done in 1999 by C. Schweers, it was

discovered that a significant portion of the student participants (88.7%) believed that

mother tongue should be utilized in English lessons and they backed their answers with

multiple reasons mainly because translation elucidate new vocabulary and helps to learn

new idiomatic expressions and Make L1 and L2 similarities and contrasts. However, Due

to the numerous drawbacks it possesses, some scholars do not favor the use of translation

in language teaching and learning. According to Newson (1988), there are four drawbacks

to using translation as a teaching and learning tool: It encourages thinking in one language

and transferring to another, robs both the teacher and the learner of working within a

single language, gives false hope that there is a perfect one-to-one correspondence

between languages, and hinders the accomplishment of generally agreed-upon goals like

emphasizing spoken language.

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 2. Purpose of the study

The purpose of this study is to shed light on the efficiency of employing translation in

language learning and instruction to build the necessary language-learning skills by

mentioning the situations when translation can aid in the teaching and learning of languages

and the degree to which second-language English students use the learners' mother tongue in

L2 classes.

3. Statement of the problem

Some practitioners who favor the bilingual approach contend that teaching EFL to pupils

using their first language helps them acquire the language more quickly. Learning happens

quickly since it's pertinent to their environments and circumstances. However, proponents of

the monolingual method argue that using only one L2 in the classroom promotes learning,

stimulates students' cognitive abilities, and raises their level of competency. Therefore, this

study attempts to determine how frequently and to what degree students at Mohamed First

University employ translation in their EFL classes. It also looks at the circumstances in which

it can help with ELT (English language teaching) and ELL (English Language Learning).

4. Signifiance of the study

Some of the English department professors are in favor of using L1 in EFL classes and also in

English as a second language (ESL) classes, while others are not although it is still a useful

tool if it is done so in a way that is acceptable and intentional.

5. Questions of the study

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 What views do college students have about the application of translation in language

teaching (TILT)?

 What are the areas where the teachers may use translation in language teaching?

 How can educators improve the efficiency of translation in language teaching and

learning?

6. Hypothesis

Translation to L1 can aid in the development of the skills necessary to study a language in the

teaching and learning of EFL or ESL.

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ix
 LITERATURE REVIEW

Introduction

For a number of reasons, "translation in language learning" is a neglected area in second

language acquisition (SLA), as Cook (2007) noted. First of all, it has been challenging to
overcome the outdated association between translation and authoritarian educational methods.
As a result of criticism of grammar-translation techniques, translation in SLA has come to be
considered as very negative. Second, translation is rarely viewed as a tool or catalyst for
language acquisition; instead, it is frequently perceived as the end result of education. As a
result, research on teaching translation as a means of or catalyst for language learning is few,
despite the fact that there is a sizable body of literature on the subject.

When individuals see a phrase or sentence in a language, they are unfamiliar with, they may
attempt to identify it by asking what language it is or what it means, or they may choose to
ignore it (either not recognising or being uninterested in it). Translating is necessary just to
identify and provide meaning to a linguistic unit in a second or foreign language (SL/FL).
Their first language is the foundation of their knowledge and intellect (L1). In other words,
ideas and meanings are connected to specific linguistic uses or expressions of L1 or can be
used to create new concepts or meanings. Thus, when people try to understand ideas or
meaning in a new SL/FL language, L1 will naturally play a major role in your comprehension.

This essay first looks at how new approaches have replaced the once widely used translation
method in the field of SL/FL instruction. After that, it explores how, under the contemporary
post-communicative, cognitive paradigm of learning, the act of translating, employing
translation as a way of learning, may successfully increase (advanced) learners' acquisition of
second/foreign languages. The argumentation in favor of translating methodology from
theoretical viewpoints is first looked at in the debate. It emphasizes that the methodology 1)
encourages the effective use of learners' first language, 2) uses errors in language output to
support a higher level of cognitive development, 3) offers the best opportunities to focus on
form (for example, Doughty & Williams, 1998; Long, 1991), 4) increases intake of available
input, 5) motivates advanced learners to advance their reading and writing skills, 6) motivates
the learners to leave their Interlanguage (IL) environment and connect to the real world The
effectiveness of the technique in SL/FL classrooms is then examined in the study.

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 Section 1: The definition of translation
A. According to many scholars
1. According to Peter Newmark
Newmark (1988: 5) provides one of the most well-known definitions of translation, stating
that it is “rendering the meaning of a text into another language in the way that the author
intended the text”. This definition places a strong emphasis on accurately translating the
author's intended meaning from the source language text into the target language content.
Newmark stays very close to the linguistic approach when he defines translation theory as an
interdisciplinary study derivated from comparative linguistics. According to Newmark, the
primary goals of translation theory are to provide suitable translation techniques for the
broadest variety of texts or text-categories and to offer a set of guidelines for both translating
texts and critiquing translation. It is worth mentioning that Newmark distinguished eight
methods of translation (1988: 45-47): Word-for-word translation, Literal translation, Faithful
translation, Semantic translation, Adaptation, Free translation, Idiomatic translation, and
Communicative translation.

2. According to Catford

According to Catford (1995:20) translation is the replacement of textual material in one

language called source language (SL) by equivalent textual material in another language
called target language (TL). With regard to being an activity, this definition demonstrates that
translation is a process. Performed by individuals throughout time when complex phrases in a
language are converted to simpler ones (Rewording and para-phrasing). It can be done also
from one language into another different language. Catford divides translation into categories
based on depth, level, and rank. He divides translation into complete and partial translation
depending on the extent. There are entire and limited translation on the levels of translation,
and rank bound and unbounded translation on the ranks.

3. According to John Dryden

The translational hypothesis of Dryden is well recognized. He categorizes translations into
three categories: imitation, paraphrase, and metaphrase. While imitation deviates from the
original at the translator's discretion and essentially creates a new poem based on the original,
imitation is a literal, word-for-word translation that follows the author's intent rather than his

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specific words. Dryden opts for paraphrasing as a midway ground between the two extremes
of metaphrase and mimicry.

4. According to Nida and Taber

Nida and Taber define translation as “reproducing in the receptor language the closest natural
equivalent of the source language message, first in terms of meaning and secondly in terms of
style” (Nida & Taber, 1974: 12). According to this definition, the term "equivalent" places
greater emphasis on meaning than on style. It may also be argued that translators must look
for appropriate alternatives to the SL terms as well as pay attention to the accuracy of
translating grammatical components in the texts. Priority for translators is to think about
whether the translation would be read and understood by TL readers as the SL text's author
intended (Nida and Taber, 1974: 8).

B. Types of translation
1. Literary translation
A literary translation is one in which the original texts are fictional works. All types of artistic
works are expertly translated by literary translators that work for POLYGLOT. Translation of
literary text include:

 literary translation of books, articles, stories and other types of prose,

 literary translation of poetry,
 translation of advertising materials,
 translation of other texts that requires a creative and flexible approach.

Literature translation differs fundamentally from other genres. This is due to the dominant
role of poetry's communicating function, which is the fundamental tenet of literary translation.
It implies that literary translation serves aesthetic purposes in addition to providing the reader
with facts. The reader will undoubtedly be affected by the creative picture presented in the
specific literary work, whether it is an image of a character or of nature. Because of this, the
literary translator should consider certain aspects of the text. This sort of translation differs
from, instance, texts of an instructive type in that it has a lyrical focus. We interpret the text
itself, complete with its meaning, emotions, and characters, when we read a tale, poetry, or
any other kind of literary work that has been translated from a foreign language. The basic
objective of the translation, which is to give the reader a certain impression, is a difficult

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assignment to complete. As a result, there may be certain exceptions to the norm when
translating literary works. The complexity and significance of the literary work cannot be
captured in a literal translation. A non-literal translation of the original text is reproduced by a
literary translator. It all depends on how the translator interprets the text. He or she completely
rewrites the text, from start to finish. This is the case, for instance, when an evident
expression is converted to a synonym or when sentence structures are altered.

Our translation service places a high value on artistic translations since they enable us to
produce lyrical texts of the highest caliber thanks to the way we approach the original content.
There is a specific algorithm at work. The translator first reads the material through, assigns
terminology, splits it into logical chunks, and then translates each segment individually. We
also give careful consideration to the stylistic translation. Multiple steps are taken to process
the translated content.

The art of literary translation is quite difficult. We must keep in mind that thousands of people
will likely read the translation of a book or a poetry. This implies that the text must be
sufficient, and we must also pay attention to the fact that the translated document must convey
the same impression as the original. The translator frequently becomes recognized for their
flawless job. The top translators of the year are chosen by the guild of masters of literary
translation.

2. Professional translation

Professional translation is the following category of translation. We often fall under this
category for any translations that are utilized for professional purposes. A legal or medical
translation would be two typical instances. The basic objective in this situation is often to
translate everything as correctly as possible. Documents won't contain any word play, such as
puns or rhymes, unlike with a literary translation, which makes the translator's job a bit
simpler.

However, accuracy is essential for any kind of professional translation, particularly in fields
where errors might have severe repercussions, like the legal and medical translation sectors.
More complicated sectors, like those listed below, may need for an expert to assure accuracy.
Of course, this depends on the subject, but the translator must be more informed the more
difficult the original language is. This is especially true if a certified translation is necessary
or if there is a lot of business jargon employed.

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 3. Technical translation

Technological translation, in its broadest sense, is the translation of texts pertaining to

scientific and technical subject areas. In other words, a technical translator is necessary for
technical translation. A proficient technical translator is conversant in both the source and
destination languages, as well as the subject matter and technical vocabulary specific to that
discipline.

Technical translation is necessary for many different kinds of content. At one extreme,
translating scientific, medical, engineering, and technical papers calls for linguists with
doctorate degrees in the fields they are translating from and into. On the other hand, while
product spec sheets for electronic equipment may not necessitate a computer science degree,
they do call for a functional understanding of the language employed in the industry.

Technical translation may take longer and cost more than standard business translation. The
additional price and turnaround time will change depending on the complexity of the project,
the availability of professional translators in the appropriate language pair, and the demand
for those translators. For instance, technical translations between English and Japanese are
more expensive since there are fewer trained translators than there is demand in this language
combination.

4. Administrative translation

The documentation and management texts of organizations like corporate or local firms are
translated using the administrative translation type. Translations for administrative purposes
can be categorized as a subset of professional translations. It doesn't exactly work the other
way around because not all administrative translations are professional translations.

C. Process of translation
1. Translation step

One of the most crucial steps in the translation process is to read a piece completely, ideally
from beginning to end. Naturally, this step enables us to determine the original language of
the text, but it also enables us to determine the original text's subject matter, the type of

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translation (whether it is technical, legal, marketing, or something else), the research that will
be necessary, and the appropriate resources to handle the translation.

This is unquestionably the hardest part of the procedure, and it calls for moving more quickly.
The task that may affect the quality of the translation and how it will be received by the target
audience the most is finding terminology, whether they be of a legal, technological,
mechanical, or other nature, that are exact and correct when placed in the context of the target
language.

2. Editing step

The whole translation process—from research and translation through editing and desktop
publishing—is covered by comparison. The main goal of translation is to translate a text from
one language into another while maintaining the original text's meaning. So, a decent final
output depends on this ongoing comparison between the original and the translation.

3. Proof Reading step

A final translation must be read through one last time in order to catch any mistakes that may
have been made earlier. If time permits, this last read-through should take place a few hours
after the translation is finished, but if not, it must be completed right away. In any case, it's
crucial to do this work.

D. Equivalence in translation

The comparison of texts in different languages inevitably involves a theory of equivalence.

Although there has been intense debate on the meaning, applicability, and usefulness of the
idea of equivalent within the area of translation theory over the past fifty years, it can be
claimed that equivalence is the fundamental problem in translation. Equivalence-oriented
translation, according to Vinay and Darbelnet, is a process that "replicates the same scenario
as in the original, but uses wholly different phrasing" (ibid.:342). Additionally, they claim that
if this approach is used during the translation process, the stylistic effect of the SL text may
still be seen in the TL text. They contend that the best approach is equivalency when dealing
with proverbs, idioms, clichés, nominal or adjectival phrases, and onomatopoeia of animal
noises.

According to Vinay and Darbelnet, equivalent terms between language pairs are allowed as
long as they are presented in a bilingual dictionary as "complete equivalents." Later on, they

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do point out that glossaries and collections of idioms "can never be exhaustive." They claim
in their conclusion that "translators must seek for a solution in the circumstances of the SL
text," where "the demand for constructing equivalences derives from the scenario". In fact,
they contend that even if an expression's semantic counterpart is listed in a dictionary or
glossary, it is not sufficient, and it does not ensure a successful translation. The following
statement may be found in their list of instances that they use to support their theory: The
fixed idiom "take one" has a French counterpart called "prenez-en un." However, if the
expression appeared as a notice next to a basket of free samples in a large store, the translator
would have to look for an equivalent term in a similar situation and use the
expression Échantillon gratuit.

Section 2: Historical background of translation

A. Early history of translation

Though it is generally acknowledged that translation pre-dates the bible, the history of
translation has long been a subject of discussion among academics and historians.

The Latin root of the word "translation" implies "to transport or carry across." Another useful
term is "metaphrase," which is a "word-for-word translation" and originates from the Ancient
Greek verb "metaphrasis," which meaning "to speak over." These concepts have served as the
foundation for translation ideas throughout history and have shed light on the circumstances
in which translation has been utilized.

Translations of the Sumerian poem Gilgamesh into Asian languages are known to have been
made as early as the Mesopotamian era. This was first recorded somewhere in the second
millennium BC. Buddhist monks who translated Indian texts into Chinese produced other
historic translations as well. Later on, Roman poets translated and modified Ancient Greek
texts to produce sophisticated literary works for amusement. Cicero and Horace are known to
have used translation services in Rome, and these applications persisted up to the 17th
century, when other conventions emerged.

It is thought that Arabic scholars' translation labor is what allowed Greek academics'
knowledge to grow and be so widely recognized. After the Greeks were captured, Arabic
intellectuals absorbed their writings and translated them into their own interpretations of the
philosophical, entertaining, and scientific understandings. Later, throughout the Middle Ages,

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these Arabic translations were translated into Latin, mostly in Spain, and the ensuing writings
laid the groundwork for Renaissance scholarship.

B. Religion and translation

With the growth of religious writings and spiritual philosophies, the necessity for translation
increased. Religious literature had to be translated into many languages as religion grew in
order to foster faith and disseminate its message. The Old Testament, which was translated
into Greek in the third century BC, is one of the first religious works to have been translated.
The name "Septuagint" is derived from the Latin word "Septuaginta," which means seventy,
and relates to the "Septuagint," a Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible. As a result, this
literature is frequently referred to as the "Greek Old Testament." No less than 70 academics
laboriously translated the book into Greek without the use of today's methods and resources,
and this work served as the foundation for subsequent translations of the Bible into other
languages.

Religion was so important to the development of translation that Saint Jerome is even
recognized by the church as its patron saint. In the fourth century AD, Saint Jerome authored
a Latin Bible. The Roman Catholic Church adopted this bible as its main text. The necessity
to translate the bible and other religious books into European languages increased with the
advent of Protestantism. Roman Catholicism and Protestantism were the two distinct courses
that Christianity might take thanks to the Protestant Reformation's quick translation and
circulation of the Bible. The mismatch in texts and the variations between key phrases and
verses of the bible were two of the most obvious contrasts between these two kinds of
religion.

C. Modern Translation
Following the Industrial Revolution, the economy quickly advanced and transformed into a
machine that had the potential to be successful on a global scale. New equipment made it
possible to produce texts and other business-related materials more quickly, which freed up
more time to devote to developing a firm and translating products for international markets.
Businesses have benefited from formalized translation services since the 18th century, but the
broad use of the internet heralded the beginning of modern practice.

The capacity to access, translate, and comprehend writings and documents from all over the
world, whether they are modern or historical works, has been revolutionized by the internet.

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Importantly, current technologies and techniques strengthen the necessity of comprehending
both the target audience's and the originating country's cultures. Although some rapid
translation services can simply translate words literally (metaphase translation), professional
businesses, platforms, and translators can translate written materials and spoken words into a
variety of languages while taking the target audience's context and culture into consideration.

INVESTIGATION THE ROLE OF TRNASLATION IN

LEARNING ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE

Section 1: translation as language learning method:

I. Practical steps for using translation as language learning method

Translation may be a useful tool for teaching the features and forms of meaning that underlie
semantic connections, communicative language functions, sentential information structure,
and discourse values as well as for increasing the communicative competence of learners.
From this angle, translation may be seen as both a cognitive activity that helps students
acquire new words and expressions in the target language and use them to interact with
others, and a problem-solving activity that helps students improve their skills in data analysis
and processing. In accordance with this framework, O'Malley, Chamot, Stewner-Manzanares,
Kupper, and Russo (1985) identified 11 cognitive strategies for learning English, and they
discovered that translation accounted for 11.3% of all strategies used by beginner and
intermediate ESL learners, trailing only the use of well-known strategies like repetition
(19.6%), note-taking (18.7%), and imagery (13.7%). (12.5 percent). Additionally, Horwitz
(1988) looked at how students felt about translation and came to the conclusion that 75% of
students studying Spanish and 70% of students learning German saw learning a second
language primarily as a matter of learning to translate from English. Kern (1994) stressed that
language teachers and students see translation as an undesired supporting pillar for learning
the target language, drawing on the function of mental translation in reading texts in second
language (L2).

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Analysis of the available literature on the strategic use of translation in English learning
(Husain, 1995; Liao, 2006; Bagheri & Fazel, 2011; Karimian & Talebinejad, 2013) allows
identifying the following strategies:

1. Enhancing English skills, particularly reading, writing, listening, and speaking:

Bagheri and Fazel (2011) discovered that translation aids students to acquire writing,
enhances their comprehension, helps them develop and express ideas in another
language, and rises their motivation to learn English. Additionally, students often
acquire more words, phrases, idioms, and grammar. Given this knowledge, Karimian
and Talebinejad (2013) pointed out that using a retrieval strategy that necessitates
using a keyword mnemonic to recall the meaning of an English idiom or word would
aid students in memorizing that word in their native tongue and, as a result, would
help them remember its meaning easily and quickly.
2. Some teachers (e.g., Weschler, 1997) argue against the widespread notion that
thinking in the mother tongue might prevent thinking directly in the TL, that excessive
use of the first language will result in the emergence of strange combinations of the
native and second languages that students could not use in daily life, and that the class
time dedicated to the first language would have been spared f Furthermore, Naiman,
Frohlich, Stern, and Todesco (1978) discovered that Good Language Learners (GLL)
who "create effective cross-lingual comparisons at different levels of language
learning" successfully employ this method (p. 14). Hence, learning by linking the new
word to its mother-language equivalent is more effective than learning vocabulary in
context (Prince, 1996).
3. Avoiding using the native language (L1): In an attempt to elaborate the differences
between high and low achievers in using translation as a learning strategy, Wen and
Johnson (1997) found that, contrary to the beliefs of low achievers, the use of L1, as
perceived by high achievers, would negatively affect their progress in English
learning. As a result, they came to the conclusion that translation to L1 should not be
used in English lessons, which supported Husain's (1995) finding that higher-level
students had the least to gain from utilizing L1 in second-language acquisition.
4. Utilizing technology and learning aids: It goes without saying that using dictionaries,
notes, computerized translation tools, etc. by students facilitates their study of English
as a second language. The use of internet technology in language classes, according to
Wang (2005), is unavoidable because it "demonstrates the shift in educational
paradigms from a behavioral to a constructivist learning approach," which contends

10
 that "the best way to learn a language is in interactive, authentic environments" (p.
39). Additionally, while learning a new language, students may watch, reflect, and ask
questions about the actual world on the Internet.
5. Interaction with other students: By working together on projects, students may learn a
new language more quickly and easily. In this sense, translation is used as a social
strategy where students are directly involved in language learning activities and use
communication as a potent tool to learn the target language together in a welcoming
classroom setting where they can support one another in learning the target language
(Donato & McCormick, 1994).
II. The contributions of translation in language learning

The greatest academic resource that may boost learners' confidence and help them concentrate
on meaning, according to Butzkamm and Caldwell, is using their mother tongue (qtd. in
Helland 81). As a result, Horwitz investigated the students' perspectives on translation and
discovered that 75% of Spanish learners and 70% of German learners, respectively,
essentially regarded learning a FL as a matter of learning to translate from one language into
another (cited in Al-Musawi 2). Kavaliauskiene and Kaminskene, meantime, argue that the
translation process does not interfere with learning a foreign language in any way and is not at
all hindered by it (qtd. in Samardali and Ismael 65).

Additionally, Ali makes the point that using the translation encourages speakers of a foreign
language to see their native tongue, which results in L2 learners naturally using the
translation. They may compare the two languages used in the teaching-learning process
deliberately or subconsciously (qtd. in Samardali and Ismael 65) Additionally, it pushes
students to learn difficult foreign language structures and elements while raising their
awareness of similarities and differences between the two addresses. To emphasize its
significance, Pan and Pan propose that translation helps students avoid the mother tongue's
interference during the first stage and afterwards improve their L2 learning (qtd. in Samardali
and Ismael 68).

Ross views translation as a highly useful instrument for fostering and enhancing
communicative proficiency; it may also be viewed as a fifth talent with the other four (qtd. in
Dagilien, p. 125). Learners of second languages are heavily reliant on their L1 during the
early stages of their studies. In this regard, Widdowson notes that while professors work to
keep the two languages apart, students maintain the two in contact in their brains (qtd. in

11
Samardali and Ismael 65). According to Jadallah and Hasan, L1 is employed in EFL/ESl
classrooms with a purpose, at appropriate times, and in appropriate locations (qtd. in Bhooth
et al. 77). Ross views translation as a highly useful instrument for fostering and enhancing
communicative proficiency; it may also be viewed as a fifth talent with the other four
(Dagilien, p. 125). Learners of second languages are heavily reliant on their L1 during the
early stages of their studies. In this regard, Widdowson notes that while professors work to
keep the two languages apart, students maintain the two in contact in their brains (qtd. in
Samardali and Ismael 65). According to Jadallah and Hasan, L1 is employed in EFL/ESl
classrooms with a purpose, at appropriate times, and in appropriate locations (qtd. in Bhooth
et al. 77).

III. Learning without translation

The importance of only using the L2 in ESL Classes Careers summarizes the main arguments
against the use of L1 in language learning curricula as it 1) encourages activities related to
only reading and writing skills; 2) motivates students to think about the L2 through the lens of
their mother tongues; and 3) has no application in the real-world of communication. 4) It
produces more incorrect replies than correct ones; 5) It is better suited to literary and
grammar-oriented pupils than to general learners (qtd. in Samardali and Ismael 66).

Nevertheless, some academics and instructors support the use of translation in L2 schools,
while others reject it and think it is ineffective. Harbord emphasizes that the usage of L1
might enhance a student's unwarranted reliance on their mother tongue (qtd. in Pan and Pan
92). Students may opt to use their mother language even when they are capable of expressing
the identical thought in L2. It could make it less likely for students to practice their second
language, and they might not understand how crucial it is to do so in order to improve their
language abilities during class activities. Students could become less confident in their ability
to communicate in a second language (L2) and develop the notion that the only way to
comprehend what the instructor is saying is to translate it into their mother tongue. In order to
reduce student nervousness, Harbord suggests that professors engage in L1 conversation
before class and deliver jokes in L1 (qtd. in Pan and Pan 94).

12
Section 2: Field Work: the case study of students at the English department
at faculty of letter and humanities, Mohamed first university.

I. The Sample

Five teachers from my former high school who were in charge of three different levels of
pupils taking language classes were chosen for this study. 25 arbitrary pupils from Mohamed
first university third-year English departments. Native Arabic speakers make up each and
every one of the samples used in this investigation.

II. Methodology

This qualitative study contains two sections: a theoretical section and a practical one. The
literature review serves as the study's theoretical component, while two questionnaires are
used for the study's practical component. The first questionnaire was distributed to the
teachers for data collection, while the second one was distributed to the students. The
questionnaire for the instructors is broken down into four sections: personal information,
frequency of using translation in language learning and teaching, effectiveness of using
translation in L2 learning and teaching, as well as the areas in which instructors can use
translation in language learning and teaching. The questionnaire for the students, however,
only had one section: their perspectives on using translation in developing the language skills.
Tables 1, 2, 3, and 4 are used to provide the data obtained from the instructors, while Table 5
is used to present the data received from the students.

Table1: Qualifications and Teaching Experience of the Sample

Qualification Years of Experience Numbers of instructors

B.A in English 1-5 5

6-10 -
MA in English 1-5 2
6-10 -
PhD. in English 1-5 -
6-10 -

Table 2: The Regularity of Using Translation in Language Teaching

13
 Do you use translation in Yes No
language teaching and F P F P
learning? 5 100% - -
always sometimes Rarely Never
If you use translation in F P F P F P F P
teaching language in
EFL/ESL class, how often 1 20% 3 60 % 1 20% - -
do you recognize yourself
to do that?
F = Frequency ; P = Percentage

Table 3: The Practicality of Using Translation in Developing the four Skill of EFL/ESL
Learner:
Do you think using translation is effective in Yes No
developing the reading skill of EFL/ESL F P F P
learner? 5 100% - -
F = Frequency ; P = Percentage

Table 4: Areas Where Teachers May Use Translation (L1) in Developing the four Skill of
EFL/ESL Learners’:
Always Sometimes Rarely Never
F P F P F P F P
Giving instructions in 3 70 % 2 28 %
the four skills
Clarifying new words 1 20% 4 80 %
and phrases in a reading
comprehension
Explaining grammatical 3 60 % 2 40 %
issues in the four skills
Giving feedback to 4 80 % 1 20%
students about their
performance in reading

14
 skill
Checking the students’ 1 20% 3 60 % 1 20%
reading, listening,
speaking and writing.
F = Frequency ; P = Percentage

Table 5: Students’ Viewpoints of Using Translation in Developing their Skills:

Yes No
F P F P
Should the teacher use the 33 66% 17 34%
mother tongue in the class?

Should the students use the 37 74% 13 26%

mother tongue in the class?
Should the teacher instruct by 29 58% 21 42%
using translation?
Should the teacher clarify new 43 86% 7 14%
words and phrases in a reading
text by using translation?
Should the teacher use the 33 64% 17 36%
mother tongue to explain
grammatical issues of a reading
text?
Should the teacher use L1 35 70% 15 30%
while providing feedback on
students’ performance in
reading skill?
If the teacher uses only L2 in 26 52% 24 48%

15
 class, do you feel motivated to
speak in L2?
If the teacher uses L1 in 46 92% 4 8%
explaining issues related to
reading, speaking, writing,
listening, do you think it helps
in improving your inclusive the
skills?
F = Frequency ; P = Percentage

III. Discussion

Table 1 shows that all of the high school members teach English language courses in the first,
second, and third years, have an MA in English as their highest degree, and have teaching
experience ranging from one to five years. Table 2 reveals that all of the sample members
believed that translation is frequently used in language instruction. It can be seen from the
second section of Table 2 that the study's samples employ translation in language education to
varying degrees: 20% always use translation, 60% occasionally use translation, and 20%
seldom ever use translation. This indicates that the majority of teachers occasionally choose to
employ L1 in language instruction since they are capable of identifying it. As Cook points
out, a crucial aspect of multilingual communicative competence is the ability to translate (qtd.
in Samardali and Ismael 65). The usage of the learners' L1 in the classroom is therefore
frequent because it is a part of bilingual competence.

Table 3 shows that the study's sample data are in favor of employing translation to help
students improve their reading abilities. All of the teachers agreed that employing translation
is helpful in the process of teaching and learning languages, and they thought it was a useful
tool. Cook once more remarked that in some circumstances, the use of L1 by instructors and

16
students alike improves L2 understanding and education (qtd. in Samardali and Ismael 66).
Thus, using the learner's mother language appears to be a useful tool in building reading
abilities, said the study's instructors.

However, it is estimated from Table 4 that the four skills of learners are most frequently
developed in the following areas by instructors:

30% of teachers hardly ever employ translation for instruction whereas 70% of instructors do
so sometimes. 20% of the teachers always utilize a translation to explain new words and
phrases in reading comprehension lessons, whereas 80% of the instructors do so sometimes.
The findings of the study by Islam and Ahsan (2011), who noted the tendency towards the
mother tongue in the EFL classes by both the professors and the study's participants, revealed
a similar issue.

60% of the teachers occasionally utilize translation to illustrate grammatical problems in the
four skills, while 40% of the instructors do so seldom. According to the sample replies, 20%
of instructors seldom ever utilize a translation whereas 80% of instructors occasionally do so
when providing comments to students on how well they read. As was already indicated, a
similar characteristic was found in the study by Suchi and Islam, suggesting that students'
cautious and acceptable usage of their first language (L1) speeds up the instructional process.

The research also reveals that when assessing students' reading and listening comprehension,
20% of teachers always use translations, 60% of teachers occasionally use translations, and
20% of teachers never use translations at all. We may compare this phenomenon to study
done by Mirza et al. (76), who identified several particular circumstances where teachers
apply translation to the learners' L1. These scenarios include teaching challenging
grammatical rules, introducing new vocabulary, delivering directions, etc.

Table 5 shows that while 34% of the students disagree with the assertion, 66% of the students
want the teacher to speak in their native tongue throughout class. However, 74% of students
agree that pupils should use their native language in class, while just 26% disagree.

However, only 42% of the sample respondents accept the notion that teachers should translate
their lessons, whereas 58% favor it. 86 percent of the sample agrees with the suggestion that
teachers should utilize translation to explain unfamiliar words and phrases in reading texts,
while just 14 percent disagree.

17
Additionally, 86% of students provide a good response when teachers clarify grammatical
errors in a reading text, whereas 14% of students give a negative response. 30% of the sample
responses were unfavorable at that time, whereas 70% of the sample responses supported
instructors' use of translation while giving feedback on students' reading skill performance.

Following that, 52% of the sample replies yes, while 48% of the sample responses negatively,
to the statement that they believe their overall L2 competence is rising if the teacher utilizes
the sole L2 in class. In conclusion, 92% of the sample agrees with the assertion that if the
instructor employs L1 to describe reading-related concepts, it would boost students' inclusive
reading skills, whereas 8% of the population disagrees.

General Conclusion

According to Harmer, "when the instructor and students share the same L1, it would be silly
to deny its presence and potential utility," researchers, educators, teachers, and students all
believe that translation is a very effective technique for teaching a second language. However,
teachers must be cautious not to overuse the mother tongue when helping students acquire a
second language. in order to provide L2 learners a chance to contemplate and utilize L2. It's
important to keep in mind that the main instances where translation can be helpful include:
explaining grammatical problems, teaching idiomatic and culturally specific expressions,
clarifying new words and phrases, explaining reading passages, dealing with errors caused by
L1 interference, assessing students' reading and listening comprehension, and describing
classroom activities. As a result, students will have more opportunities to utilize the target
language and improve their proficiency with it. However, teachers must remember that they
should employ translation only as a last resort and should encourage students to speak the
target language in class since this will help them become more fluent in it.

18
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