Classroom Methods for Enhancing Equivalence Retrieval for Translators

Abstract

The problem of equivalence retrieval is one of the most challenging for trainee translators and interpreters. Numerous techniques have been proposed by translator trainers and theorists to help overcome memory-related issues (Gile 1995, Al-Hammadi 2012, Lörscher 2012, etc.). This paper proposed two teaching methods to be adopted by translator trainers with the aim of enhancing trainee proficiency, specifically concerning equivalence retrieval. The present article generally belongs to the cognitive paradigm. The proposed teaching methods, namely semantic breakdown and teaching-common-senses-first, take ‘meaning’ as their focus, basically drawing on ideas from schema theory, and relevance theory. A future empirical investigation of the two proposed teaching methods would help validate them.