Bridging Translation Theory and Practice: Reframing Translation Pedagogy for Language Proficiency Development

Mariko Allen (SOAS University of London)

Abstract

This study explores how theoretical frameworks from Translation Studies can inform and strengthen translation pedagogy, while also considering their broader implications for related fields such as language education. Positioned within Applied Translation, it integrates Pure and Applied Translation Studies to show how translation pedagogy can be expanded to support both translation training and language development.

Although translation is often regarded merely as a supplementary tool in the language classroom, this study shows how frameworks such as Eugene Nida’s Equivalence Theory and Hans J Vermeer’s Skopos Theory can be effectively applied in practice. Using Japanese language learning as an illustrative context, this paper emphasises how theory-informed translation pedagogy can enhance language awareness and support learner development, even at the beginner stage.

Speaker

Mariko Allen is a third-year PhD student at SOAS University of London, specialising in the intersections of Translation Studies and language education. Her research is shaped by more than a decade of experience as both a translator and a Japanese language teacher, as well as her Master’s in Translation (SOAS, 2022). She has held teaching roles at SOAS—including as a Teaching Fellow delivering the postgraduate module Practical Translation—and currently teaches Japanese language at the University of Essex. A Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, she brings a strong pedagogical foundation to her research. Having lived and worked in Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, and England, Mariko draws on her cross-cultural background to explore creative and effective ways of integrating translation into language teaching.