Poetry Education through L2 Translation of L1: A Case Study of High School Learners with Korean as L1 and English as L2
Submitted by:
Miji Song
Abstract:
This study investigates how Korean high school students, whose primary language is Korean (L1) and who have received English language (L2) education since elementary school, interpret Korean poems when translating them into English. While not fluent in English, they possess enough ability to perform translations with dictionaries or translation software. We propose that translation acts as a scaffold, encouraging learners to explore semantic differences between languages, thus fostering interpretations of native literary texts.
Our central research question is to investigate how translating Korean poetry from L1 to L2 influences high school students' interpretations of the original texts. This research grounded on the learners' multilingual capabilities and intertwined identities, transcending the monolingual perspective prevalent in L1 education. Contemporary research in language identity challenges the traditional notions of 'nativeness' and monolingualism' (Rampton, 1995). Korean students are not solely native speakers; instead, they predominantly use Korean while possessing multilingual resources. Furthermore, in the language education realm, it is suggested that the influence between L1 and L2 is bidirectional (Altmisdort, 2016). They mutually impact each other linguistically and in the concept restructuring (Pavlenko, 2000).
We designed a poetry class in which learners translate key phrases of poetry and discuss the translated content with classmates. Then, we collected their translation and discussion materials and analyzed them through the thematic analysis method. Our findings indicate that translating literature from L1 to L2 detaches texts from their inherent familiarity and established interpretations, enriching the interpretive process with diverse perspectives. This study underscores the value of leveraging multilingual resources in literary education and highlights how learners can engage with literature through their integrated linguistic abilities.
Altmisdort, G. (2016). The Effects of L2 Reading Skills on L1 Reading Skills through Transfer. English Language Teaching. 9. (9). 28-35.
Pavlenko, A. (2000). L2 Influence on L1 in Late Bilingualism. Applied Linguistics, 11, (2), 175-205.
Rampton, B. (1995). Crossing: Language and ethnicity among adolescents. Longman.