Problem-solving in the Translating Processes of Japanese ESL Learners

This paper explores the way in which second-language learners translate a text from L1 into L2 and seeks to discover how translation tasks can serve as a method of second-language learning. Twenty-two Japanese ESL students studying at a Canadian post-secondary institution performed a translation task. The students were asked to think aloud while translating. Their translations and think-aloud protocols were then analyzed qualitatively, paying attention to their problem-solving processes in L1/L2 semantic and syntactic correspondences while translating. Contrary to general expectations, most students in this study avoided translating literally when literal translations did not make sense. They paid attention to problematic L1/L2 correspondences, and examples of problem-solving were not limited to the word or sentence level. This study suggests that translation tasks enable learners to use the target language generatively and creatively in order to make them aware of correct L1/L2 correspondences in words and structures.