Publications

Publication details [#12424]

Kaya, Burce. 2007. The role of bilingualism in translation activity. Translation Journal 11 (1). URL
Publication type
Article in jnl/bk
Publication language
English

Abstract

Throughout the world, translation is an everyday activity for many bilingual children. This fact inevitably raises a question in one's mind: can every bilingual become a translator? In order to find an answer to this question, first the definitions of particular terms have to be made clear. The concept of bilingualism is a field of study in psychology and particularly in psycholinguistics, and different scholars attribute different roles to bilingualism in the general theory of translation. The aim of this article is to attempt to examine the role of bilingualism in translation activity in a psychological framework. The innateness of translating skills will be questioned with the help of examples from various case studies conducted on bilinguals. The main terms such as natural translation, social bilingual, professional bilingual, native translator, that were used by the scholars who discussed the matter of translation and bilingualism, will be explained and compared throughout this work. If we go deeper into the topic, the question of the need for translation training emerges, and this topic will be discussed in relation to the role of meta-linguistic knowledge in the translation activity of a bilingual.
Source : A. Matthyssen