Translation in Foreign language Teaching

There is, today, a great deal of emphasis on the study of foreign languages. Linguists and methodologists are looking for more effective approaches to language teaching. One of the suggested tools is translation. The present research tries to investigate the role of translation, as a technique, in language teaching and learning. It also argues that translation should consciously be used instead of being ignored and avoided at all costs, emphasizing the inevitable interaction between the mother tongue and the target language occurring in the process of foreign language learning. The survey used in this study examines the perceptions of the selected university students regarding the general role of translation activities in language learning processand the role of translation in improvement of their language skills. The results are obtained through statistical analysis of the data, using SPSS software. The results show that translation has an effective role in foreign language learning and improvement of language skills and it is preferred language practice technique for many language teachers and learners.