Translation for multiliteracies: case studies of EFL and JFL classrooms

ABSTRACT The purpose of this study is to analyse how translation can be used to foster multiliteracies. It looks at a multimodal-focused approach to translation, which is one of the two important focuses of the pedagogy of multiliteracies. The approach was applied to two different classroom settings: a Korean into English translation classroom at a university in Seoul, South Korea, and a beginner Japanese language class at a university in London, England. In particular, it will examine how a focus on the multimodal dimensions of text facilitates students’ understanding and how this in turn influences their decision-making in translation tasks across classroom contexts. The study uses thematic analysis to examine students’ learning journals submitted after the lesson. Despite two different classroom settings and differences in students’ language proficiency, data show the role such an approach played in enabling students to make decisions for their text output while contemplating the available modes. The approach allowed students to be explicitly aware of the context surrounding the media and helped them to make informed decisions regarding which translations to use.