Research Article
Facing Untranslatability - The Mainstream Arsenal of Strategies
Issue:
Volume 13, Issue 4, August 2025
Pages:
158-170
Received:
7 June 2025
Accepted:
25 June 2025
Published:
23 July 2025
Abstract: In the face of linguistic and cultural untranslatability, translation emerges as a strategic act rather than a purely mechanical process. This paper presents a comprehensive inventory of translation strategies, grounded in both theoretical frameworks and practical considerations. It begins by exploring the concept of strategy through various academic lenses, distinguishing it from tactics, and identifying its core elements and domains. The study then shifts focus to translation-specific strategies, examining the requirements for strategic choice and the structural and functional factors that shape it. These include text type, language function, levels of signification, and the cultural and communicative contexts of both the source and target texts. Strategies are categorised into direct, oblique, and global types, encompassing literal translation, calque, modulation, adaptation, and broader approaches such as foreignisation and domestication. Through this layered classification, the paper highlights the need for adaptive, context-sensitive decision-making in the translation process. Ultimately, it argues that facing untranslatability requires more than technical skill-it demands a dynamic, reflective, and strategic engagement with meaning across languages and cultures.
Abstract: In the face of linguistic and cultural untranslatability, translation emerges as a strategic act rather than a purely mechanical process. This paper presents a comprehensive inventory of translation strategies, grounded in both theoretical frameworks and practical considerations. It begins by exploring the concept of strategy through various academ...
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Review Article
Exclusion of Sesotho Language Teaching in Eastern Cape Universities: A Need for Curriculum Restructuring in Initial Teacher Education
Jeremia Lepheana*
Issue:
Volume 13, Issue 4, August 2025
Pages:
171-176
Received:
30 May 2025
Accepted:
20 June 2025
Published:
5 August 2025
Abstract: This article provides a critical overview of the linguistic neglect of the Southern Sesotho language and investigates the reasons for the exclusion of the Sesotho language in the Eastern Cape universities Faculty of Education programmes, which has resulted in a linguistically discriminatory curriculum. Eastern Cape universities do not cater to Sesotho in their curriculum, which is a cause for concern that seeks curriculum restructuring by Higher Education Institutions in the province. The Eastern Cape Department of Education comprises Sesotho learners in their system, but the Sesotho language is not offered in the universities in this province. This marginalizes the Sesotho language and its people in the province to a larger extent. Qualitative document analysis and interviews were used to review the curriculum of the four universities in the province. Interviews were conducted with four Executive Deans from the four universities in the province. The language policies of the four universities were analyzed. The results of this study revealed that Sesotho, as a previously marginalized language, is still marginalized even to date in Eastern Cape universities. The university curriculum must be restructured to accommodate all students.
Abstract: This article provides a critical overview of the linguistic neglect of the Southern Sesotho language and investigates the reasons for the exclusion of the Sesotho language in the Eastern Cape universities Faculty of Education programmes, which has resulted in a linguistically discriminatory curriculum. Eastern Cape universities do not cater to Seso...
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Research Article
A Contrastive Analysis of Common Apology Expressions in Chinese and Spanish and an Investigation of Learner Errors
Wu Meiling*
Issue:
Volume 13, Issue 4, August 2025
Pages:
177-186
Received:
13 July 2025
Accepted:
25 July 2025
Published:
13 August 2025
DOI:
10.11648/j.ijll.20251304.13
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Abstract: This study conducts a contrastive analysis of apology expressions in Chinese and Spanish, focusing on expressions such as 对不起 (duì bu qǐ), 抱歉 (bào qiàn), 不好意思 (bù hǎo yì si), 原谅 (yuán liàng), and 麻烦 (má fan), and their Spanish counterparts including disculpa, perdón, lo siento, and perdonar. Drawing upon practical learner examples and corpus observations, the paper identifies frequent error types among Spanish-speaking learners of Chinese, examining mismatches in semantic intensity, politeness strategies, and cultural expectations. The research is grounded in three theoretical frameworks: Interlanguage Pragmatics (Kasper & Blum-Kulka), which explores pragmatic development in second language acquisition; Politeness Theory (Brown & Levinson), which provides a model for understanding face-threatening acts like apologies; and Error Analysis (Corder), which enables the systematic identification and interpretation of learner errors. The study adopts a qualitative corpus-informed contrastive approach, analyzing illustrative learner expressions collected through classroom observation and written assignments, and comparing them with native Chinese usage. Findings reveal that pragmatic failures often arise from semantic transfer, sociocultural mismatches, and structural differences in apology realization. Learners struggle with calibrating the appropriate intensity of apology expressions, often overgeneralizing 对不起 and underusing culturally softer forms like 不好意思 or 抱歉 in minor situations. Additionally, the influence of Spanish honorific and remedial patterns leads to mismatches in politeness strategies and discourse coherence in Chinese. By highlighting these error patterns and their underlying causes, the paper contributes to the field of interlanguage pragmatics and cross-cultural language teaching. Pedagogical recommendations include raising learners’ awareness of semantic nuance and politeness conventions in Chinese, using contextualized teaching, and explicitly addressing contrastive patterns in apology usage between Chinese and Spanish.
Abstract: This study conducts a contrastive analysis of apology expressions in Chinese and Spanish, focusing on expressions such as 对不起 (duì bu qǐ), 抱歉 (bào qiàn), 不好意思 (bù hǎo yì si), 原谅 (yuán liàng), and 麻烦 (má fan), and their Spanish counterparts including disculpa, perdón, lo siento, and perdonar. Drawing upon practical learner examples and corpus observ...
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