Hussam, Palestine
I think using the mother tongue in an EFL classroom or in teaching EFL is useful sometimes. Let us not forget that the ultimate goal of teaching any language is to gain communicative competence. Accordingly, it is better if we try to maximize the target language.

Vanessa, China
Translation to some sentences/ideas beyond ,at the moment of learning, learners' language proficiency quite often works.
In adition, learners may still find themselves puzzled when they understand a great majority of vocabulary involved but eqipped without background cultural knowledge.

Alejandro Rodríguez Sánchez, México
Translation is a good way to make learners aware of, if possible, the differences and similarities between L1 and L2. Of course, when using translation there is also a certain level of culture-oriented intention in which the teacher can manage to help students discover the spirit of language, either in one way or the other, that is to say, the world seen and revised from a different angle.

For example, say, a proverb in Spanish may have its counterpart in English, however, the elements in the sentence turn out to be, in many cases, different from each other, nevertheless the meaning may still remain the same. Why, because of the culture, the different backgrounds where the language evolved through history.

Pee, Thailand
Learning a foreign language is always difficult, but the teachers have to explore the best way to make students unconscious of what they have been learning. It means the student will feel like they are being in the context of thier native language. I think teaching culture and translation should go together, and we should teach in native language classes not in foreign laguage classes in which both teacher and students are focusing on communication. It will waste too much time to explain in foreign language classes. For example, how will you explain to the 11-12 year old students to understand why American driving in the right lane or why the Americans have spelled several English words differently compared to Brithish style. It's like you are wasting much more time to teach in communicative way than you have planned. Traslation is important once you teach in native language. Learning foreign language is learning to apply your mind in foreign language and express your thoughts for others to understand.

Amal Moubarak, Morocco
Concerning the use of transalation and and cultural content in teaching and learning a foreign language, I find this very useful but the question that I want to ask is that, how should we convine students not to be influenced by the other cultures while learning a foreing language?

Maria C. Costa, Portugal
Teaching and learning a foreign language are necessarily associated with cultural content. We should rethink in terms of how the pedagogy of a language can be redefined as a way of cultural policy that will allow the learners to speak within the conversational contexts which affirm, question and expand the understanding of themselves and the global contexts they live in. Language is communication. Undoubtedly, learners have to be guided by the teacher, who can use different and appropriate approaches to helping them to discover the real meanings towards a context. Let us motivate learners to develop their dictionary skills and they will certainly be more autonomous with translation.

R.Kanagaraj, India
Translation is useful only when the pupils find it very very difficult to understand. Complete translation will not be useful to learn a language fast.

Nidhi, India
I feel that while teaching a foriegn language to the young learners translations should be avoided. We can use exagerated gestures, physical space around, models or pictures of objects that we want to help the learner undertand. But I feel that cultural content should be used as it helps the learner to connect a foriegn language with her context/ reality. It encourages the learner to form associations between different worlds and thus improves learning. It also prevents conflicting values trouble the learner unnecessarily.

Faratin, Iran
I believe that the word to word transalation is misleading it is better the learner took the meaning in context.

Mari, Israel
Translation is a technique not related to language learning.
Using a language means communicating in it and it's best to stay in the language being learned and only translate individual vocabulary words when absolutely necessary to convey accurate meaning.

Spain
I use translation as a part of my teaching and have found it very useful since, inevitably, students translate in their heads. Practising translations gives them agility and makes them remember given phrases or experessions that have no equivalent in their native language. As far as cultural content, I think it's actually the essence of learning a language. After all, languages evolved linked to a certain culture, the more you undersand the culture the better you can speak the language and learning the language is also a first step in the introduction to this culture.

Ejaz Ahmed , Pakistan
Very little importance should be given to first language while teaching or leaening target language (English). Learning sencond language using the direct method, forms habits of thinking in the same language.

Ari, Indonesia
Learning a foreign language cannot be split from culture. If we don't know the culture, we don't understand what they are talking about.

Ahmed Hussein, Sudan
I think translation for the learner of a foriegn language is of a high importance. Not to translate word for word, but use translation to convey the idea to narrow the gap between two languages.

Halala, Iraq
Teaching is not translating which means the teacher is not the translator.S/He can give the meaning of the English words in English itself, by giving examples, clues and sentences.

Mauritius
I think translation is useful because learning a foreign language makes someone know new culture, languages and I think it is a great opener for the communication.

Vivien, Indonesia
The teacher can use translation and cultural content as good approaches in Teaching Foreign Language. So the students wouldn't be confused or lose the correct meaning in their mind that lead them into misinterpretation.

George Lim, Canada
Learning a foreign language is difficult enough and if what he is reading is about an experience he cannot relate, he would probably give up after some time.

Karsane, Morocco
Culural awareness as well as the tutor's ability to provide on demand equivalents in L1 or another language are of paramount importance in a world that is all the more getting closer;hence being informed about one's students culutural specifities and originality is an efficient tool to boost students' interest and motivation. This will also help a tutor better asses his learners' needs.

Nidia Cecchetto Reuter, Argentina
I think that teachers insist on searching the golden method which is absolutely useless. Any method is universally valid. There is no a definitive answer. We must think about what we wish to accomplish in the classroon, why we have chosen these goals, and we wish to achieve them. Once we have engaged in the active process of teaching, we must regularly reflect on what is happening and has happened in our classrooms. Translation was an academic exercise rather that one which would actually help learners to use the language. However, it can be a useful tool for specific purposes. To sum up, translation can be an interesting resource.

Richard, Hungary
Most English speakers do some translation whether we teachers like it or not (sometimes as part of their job). If the teacher can help, there's no reason to withold that help. But let's remember we are translating texts (not words) in a given cultural context, with a particular function. I teach translation in Hungary and it's interesting to see how many proficient speakers can be tempted to produce word-for-word translations that mean nothing to someone who speaks only the target language.

Michael Macugay, Philippines
I am a grammar teacher here at Saudi Arabia and I'm convinced that the use of translation and cultural content in teaching and learning English should indeed play a great consideration in the entire course of instruction.Saudi Arabia is a very conservative country and there are words in English that could appear offensive to them while trying to let them explore new words.It is then a must for the language teacher to be aware of these culturally-related language differences.

Jordão Joanes, Brazil
I think translation is a useful resource sometimes, especially because it gives the students a chance to compare their mother tongue with the target language. Particularly, I advocate that using the previous learner's knowledge the teaching and learning process can be more efficient.

Benna Mustapha, Morocco
The use of translation and cultural content help students to compare between their culture and mother language and the target language. The standard here is culture and comparison.

Helen, China
I don't think one person can learn English well by translating word for word when he reads. However, I insist that the basic understanding of culture is essential.

India
It is good try to explain. If you add examples & exercises too, it can be understandable properly.

Tonatiuh S. Reyes
I think translation is useful sometimes, but it has to be a last resort for teaching.

SJ, Australia
The inclusion of cultural content in any teaching program is valuable for students as it makes their learning relevant to the real world. Also basing learning on something that is familiar to a child allows them to be more receptive as the content is not so alien to them.

César Gámez, México
As far as I know, translating is a working teaching tool, particularly in those cases where dificult matters have to be taught.

Patricia de Lleras, Colombia
Making comparisons is making discoveries, therefore, it is the right way to know each other properly.

Sophie, Taiwan
In my opionion, language is a very creative tool to communicate with people form other countries. In some stages learning foreign language by studying translations is helpful and realising different sense of each culture.

Denise, Spain
Learning the culture of the given country in which language you are learning helps explain why the language is different to your own first language. Whilst you can not translate word for word, this in itself lends the student to realise how their new language is formed.

Sheila Bonari, Reunion Island
The whole point of learning a foreign language is to have the tools required to communicate with others, in order to find out about other cultures so we can learn more about ourselves, position ourselves and thus improve humanity. Hence teaching the second language is the tool to discover the culture not cultural content a tool to be used in order to teach.

Adil, India
According to my view it's really beneficial for students to learn these things having been translated. Definatly it will be helpfull to understand culture as well as language.

Carlos de la Paz, Cuernavaca, México
Since I've always tried to avoid translation while teaching I don't really think there is a strong need to use it. There are many other resources we may use to present vocabulary, visuals, realia, mimic, cartoons, etc therefore translation might be the last chance we have, as teachers, to convey meaning. However, it's important to consider the learners' needs and try to create classes that suit them.

Visumathy, India
Every country has a culture of its own and it differs in every aspect. So coming to translation, cultural content is very important without which there may be no life of the original work.