Challenges of translating cultural expressions in teaching Kiswahili to foreigners

bibliographic database
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Periodical article

Title:	Challenges of translating cultural expressions in teaching Kiswahili to foreigners
Author:	Malangwa, Pendo Salu
Year:	2014
Periodical:	Kiswahili (ISSN 0856-048X)
Volume:	77
Pages:	104-117
Language:	English
Geographic term:	Tanzania
Subjects:	Swahili language language instruction
Abstract:	This article discusses the challenges of translating Kiswahili cultural expressions in textbooks and in the classroom. Cultural expressions were collected in the fields of a) greetings, b) food and drinks, c) kinship, d) social practices, and e) the political arena. The Kiswahili espressions are presented parallel with their proposed English equivalents. It was found that teachers apply descriptive and literal translation techniques to handle cultural expressions. The author recommends to learn culturally loaded words and phrases through descriptive translations rather than through literal translation. Literal translations result in inappropriate usage of cultural expressions in the communication process. Bibliogr., sum. [ASC Leiden abstract]