Teaching the skills of translating idiomatic expressions among EFL undergraduate students in université des lettres et des sciences humaines de Bamako

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to explore difficulties encountered by undergraduate learners of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) in translating idiomatic expressions into French (L2). The goal was to identify the specific difficulties they pose to learners. Identifying the causes of the difficulties experienced by EFL undergraduate students in translating idiomatic expressions into French and proposing translation-enhancing strategies for idioms is thought to be of interest to learners and teachers alike. The study was designed as a qualitative exploratory case study. The key findings derived from analysis by the researcher revealed that EFL undergraduate students find it particularly difficult to recognise and understand idiomatic expressions in English, and recreate them accurately in French. In the first place, the study has shown that EFL learners fail to recognise that idiomatic expressions make a whole semantic unit. They transfer the lexicogrammatical patterns of English idioms to French, on the other hand. As a result of this two-faceted difficulty, i.e.failure to recognise idioms as polylexical structures with semanticunity and strong tendency for reproducing source-text lexicogrammatical patterns, learners resort predominantly to paraphrasing as a translation strategy for rendering idiomatic expressions. In tackling the difficult task of idiom translation, omission and FLidiomatic expression transfer into target text (L2) are widely employedby undergraduate students. In addition to identifying translation difficulties encountered by students, the present study also suggests idiom translation-enhancing solutions through an integrated approach to idioms, with a wider, systematic, exposure to idiomatic expressions through translation classes targeting idioms and explicit idiom instruction in readingcomprehension and linguistics courses. Another solution for enhancing skills in idiomatic expression translation is teacher preparation for translation classes. Additional findings are described in the dissertation. These findings relate in particular to word class divergence and collocational patterns as recurrent translation difficulties experienced by students. In other words, they fail to make the lexicogrammatical transformations required in translation process and translate predominantly word class for word class, as well as they combine words following the source-text collocational patterns, resulting in unnatural, atypical phrasesin French. Finally, a systematic approach to idiom translation strategies for EFL undergraduate learners has been recommended. This approach consists of a step-by step introduction to idiom translation strategies based on the closeness of formal and semantic features characteristic of idiomatic expressions. The study includes the need and recommendations for further studies.