Translation and the contemporary language teacher

Abstract

Due to the point that translation is still a controversial issue in foreign language teaching and also with respect to the fact that translation remains a significant component in various foreign language teaching programs, the present study attempts to investigate the importance of translation in foreign language learning and teaching. The present study is twofold: The first aim is to present a literary review of the role and benefits of translation in foreign language development and the second aim is to discover English Language Teaching (ELT) teacher candidates' perceptions of the translation activity as an instrument for assisting foreign language learning development. A questionnaire consisting of 15 items was administered to the participants and the data were statistically analysed.