Translation and language learning: AlfraCovalt as a tool for raising learners' pragmalinguistic and sociopragmatic awareness of the speech act of requesting

Abstract

Interlanguage pragmatic research has shown that speech act categories and their realisation strategies are found across languages. However, they do not apply to all languages in the same way. Leech (1983) and Thomas (1983) account for this fact by dividing pragmatics into two components: pragmalinguistics and sociopragmatics. When dealing with pragmatics we should consider knowledge of the means to weaken or strengthen the force of an utterance (i.e. pragmalinguistic knowledge) and knowledge of the particular means that are likely to be most successful for a given socio-cultural context (i.e. sociopragmatic knowledge). In this paper we will argue for a reconsideration of translation as a communicative-pragmatic practice in foreign language settings. First, we will provide a historical outline of how translation has been used in language teaching. Secondly, a range of translation activities which may benefit learners’ development of pragmalinguistic and sociopragmatic awareness are suggested. Thirdly, we will make a number of suggestions as to how AlfraCovalt might be used to improve learners’ pragmatic awareness.