The Pre-Renaissance, or new –and old– didactic proposals for translation teaching: A Report for an Academy

Abstract

Translation didactics has always been focused in providing students with the necessary tools to make them able to produce from a first language communication skills, functionally adapted communication skills in a second language. This is, certainly, an irreproachable aim. However, in certain cases, reaching moderately satisfactory results, when students have not been fully conscious of the consequences or implications of the materials they have been working with, is possible. In this way a very peculiar problem arises, since it is obvious that this deep knowledge lack can give place to conflicts or important distortions. The present article tries to put limits to these problems and to offer solution proposals to this issue. To sort it out, an experience in the classroom, including different aspects of what it means "to understand" and "to elaborate" a text, is set, bearing in mind the scope of every communicative and mediation act.