Mother tongue in translation: Quantitative findings from an empirical study triangulationg data from teachers, translators and students

Abstract

This article presents the results of a survey that compares items related to domains, contents and methods considered relevant by instructors of Spanish as mother tongue in translation programs with the needs perceived by direct translation instructors, professional translators, and students. The questionnaire is based on the premise that native language teaching in translation requires a text-centered approach grounded in concepts such as norm and usage, genre, and text typology. The results reveal broad agreement among the three groups regarding the relevance of the proposed items. However, current pedagogical practices still offer scope for improvement and renewal, which could enhance the alignment between linguistic training and the actual demands of the professional translation field.