L2 Journal: An electronic refereed journal for foreign and second language educators

We describe here strategies inspired by translation studies and implemented in a bilingual translation class pairing two student groups of native speakers of English (from Barnard College, Columbia University) and of French (from the École Normale Supérieure, Lyon). Student etandems use CMC (computer mediated communication) to collaborate on the translation of a set of French and English source texts from the human and social sciences, giving the language learners the experience of translating both into and from their own language. Using a workshop format, our approach emphasizes horizontal language learning through linguistic sharing, with students reciprocally developing their language skills by being paired with a learner whose mother tongue is their target language. To provide continuous stimulation for the linguistic exchanges, we assign each student pair a "real-life" task: that of translating two book reviews that are then submitted for publication in academic journals. This goal provides them with strong motivation to produce a careful and better-informed translation, while sensitizing them to the broader academic usefulness of their work. Our objective is to broaden language exchange by advancing collaborative translation into the realm of knowledge-sharing in the human and social sciences.