Crossing borders: Using translation techniques in improving portuguese European Computer Science Course students´ language proficiency

The common universal marketplace is contributing to the rapid globalization of higher education and those institutions offering internationalized undergraduate courses stand better chances of producing globally well-prepared graduates. The Engineering School (ISEC) of the Polytechnic Institute in Coimbra overcomes the physical boundaries of countries by offering transnational education programs such as the Bachelor degree European Computer Science Course and Master degrees (Erasmus Mundus Master Course in Sustainable Transportation and Electrical Power Systems) and by working closely with partner institutions. Knowledge of languages is obviously vital in any transnational program since it mirrors this international reality, which entails contact with different languages and cultures. Furthermore, future graduates will become participants in the resulting fusion of diverse cultures and languages and should therefore be prepared to deal with this reality. This study involves the language subjects pertaining to the European Computer Science Course undergraduate degree at ISEC. This work focuses on the use of translation techniques in the language classroom so as to help students not only to improve language skills, but also to get them to notice the similarities and contrasts between the different languages and respective cultures. The languages discussed in this research paper are English and German. The research begins with background information about translation, its history and application in language teaching. It then proceeds to demonstrate how the intervention of the mother tongue in the classroom is taking a turning point in a more constructive direction. Following, this study will consider some of the justifiable, as well as unjustifiable drawbacks of translation in language teaching. These will be considered together with the model exercises provided in part IV of this study. Lastly, and subsequent to this discussion, the study attempts to provide an idea of- - the use of translation in the language classroom and its benefits in any transnational course.