Translation in Cross-language Qualitative Research: Pitfalls and Opportunities

Abstract

This paper considers some methodological implications related to translation in cross-language qualitative research. The paper takes a twofold stance: on the one hand, it argues that, provided the process is carried out with integrity and transparency, translation in cross-language research can be insightful, and can function as a phase of the analysis in itself. On the other hand, ‘interlanguage translation’, that is, the translation of non-native speakers’ utterances in the target language, should be avoided, or at least acknowledged as a limitation of the study. The article draws on a cross-language qualitative research study, conducted partly in Australia and partly in Italy, in the inter-disciplinary field of second language acquisition (SLA) drama education research. The article argues that a multi-approach to equivalence (dynamic, conceptual and dynamic equivalence) may be needed to translate different kinds of texts within the same study, offering a variety of examples to support these claims.