Editor: Peter Garrett (University of Cardiff)
Review editor: Terry Shortall (University of Birmingham)
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Volume: 8 Number: 3 Page: 160–173
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Exploring the Potential of Corpora for Raising Language Awareness in Student Translators
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Lynne Bowker
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This paper explores the potential of a corpus-based approach for promoting language awareness in student translators. It begins by examining the principal criteria required to produce a good translation,
and then explores some of the principal obstacles to language awareness that can be found in the translation classroom: resistance to correction, lack of motivation, and lack of awareness of the distinction
between language for general purposes (LGP) and language for special purposes (LSP). The potential of electronic corpora and corpus analysis tools for helping to overcome these obstacles was investigated
by testing the following hypotheses: (1) when faced with expert testimony in the form of a corpus, students will be more accepting of corrections; (2) corpora present the students with a new and interesting
way of working so they will be more motivated to learn; and (3) the corpus provides a testbed against which students can evaluate LGP/LSP distinctions. A group of students translated a text twice, once
using conventional resources (e.g. dictionaries) and a second time using corpus-based resources. The two sets of translations were analysed for errors, and the results showed a trend towards improved linguistic
skills and language awareness in students using electronic corpora.
© Multilingual Matters 1999
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