Mundos en palabras: Learning Advanced Spanish through Translation

Systematic, thorough, interactive, undogmatic, and most enjoyable, Mundos en palabras brings a breath of fresh air to the foreign languages classroom, unashamedly consolidating the role of translation as an essential and rewarding activity in the teaching and learning of Spanish as a foreign language. Perfectly balanced in its dosage of theory and practice, it contains a trove of information, examples and exercises that cover a wide range of relevant topics. An exciting, original contribution to the field.

Jorge Diaz-Cintas, Centre for Translation Studies (CenTraS), University College London, UK

Researchers in translation studies and language acquisition are increasingly in agreement about the need for a research-informed reintroduction of translation and multilingualism in the language classroom. Yet, textbooks guided by this goal are practically inexistent. Mundos en palabras (MEP) is a unique and well-crafted instantiation of how to use translation in the language classroom, filled with creative, useful and entertaining translation and translation-based activities for the language learner.

MEP will make learners and teachers fall in love with translation all over again. It will contribute to the pipeline of translators and to a new generation language professionals with a solid understanding of translation. Without a doubt, MEP will be invaluable for language teachers, language learners and those considering translation as a possible career goal.

Sonia Colina, The University of Arizona, USA

Mundos en palabras is a very welcome and original contribution to language learning at an advanced level. Students will enjoy the central focus on translation as communication and the interesting choice of genres and texts introduced through thought-provoking tasks. The book is designed not only to develop the four basic language skills (speaking, writing, reading, listening), but also other skills needed by professional translators. Of particular interest is the emphasis on contrastive differences between English and Spanish (cultural, genre and linguistic).

Allison Beeby Lonsdale, Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona, Spain

Conceived within the multilingual paradigm in educational linguistics, Mundos en palabras fully recognizes the benefits of translation pedagogy in Additional Language Learning. In so doing, it redresses the balance in favour of contrastive analysis and the teaching of style in the communicative and collaborative language classroom. The value of this novel volume lies in its laudable endeavour to adopt an inclusive stance, thus overcoming binary discourses on educational versus professional translation, translator education versus translator training, translation theory versus translation practice, prescriptive versus descriptive approaches as well as translation as a means of enhancing the four language skills versus translation as an end in itself. Moreover, this textbook makes an important contribution to the writing of new teaching materials, the design of new tests and the introduction of new concepts and practices into teacher education, as envisioned by Guy Cook (2010: 156) in his detailed appraisal of pedagogic translation.

Sara Laviosa, Universita degli Studi di Bari `Aldo Moro', Italy