Abstract:

Though language use has proved to be highly patterned, little regard has been given to lexical bundles (cf. Granger 2014; Biel 2018; Aston 2018) in advanced L2 competence development, particularly in translator and interpreter training as regards oral and written skills. Lexical bundles, as irregular chunks of language that are statistically recurrent but not necessarily lexically or grammatically meaningful, in contrast with metaphors or much-used lexical expressions, can play a vital role in anticipating a great deal of the idiosyncratic texture of specialised genres. Exploring lexical patterns can shed light on formulae, frequent nominal, verbal and prepositional phrases, content bundles related to specific topics to be dealt with in the classroom, and intratextual elements.

L2 competence development of translators and interpreters may arguably be furthered with a bigger emphasis on lexical bundles without disregarding the focus on traditional phraseology and terminology. A wide range of corpus-based activities on lexical bundles –drawing on a corpus of translated and interpreted language arising from European Parliament debates– may help build the oral and written skills of translators and interpreters-to-be. Based on the ‘plurilingual competence’ advocated by the CEFRL, and the emphasis placed on L1-L2 contrast and interaction in translation and interpreting classroom settings, a corpus-based approach can enhance L2 competence development in a more specific, sensitive and conscious way and might help them feel resolute and empowered to manage a number of real-life translation and interpreting problems.

Keywords:

Lexical bundles, translation and interpreting education, corpus-based approach, L2 competence, plurilingual competence.