APPRECIATION OF CULTURAL DIVERSITY THROUGH TRANSLATING AUSTRALIAN ABORIGINAL CULTURE: A PROJECT-BASED LEARNING APPROACH

This paper is focused on how translation students engaged themselves in a translation project funded by the Australia-China Council and came to appreciate cultural diversity through translating two books on Australian Aboriginal culture. Not only did they practice various translation skills and techniques related to translation theories, but also gained an insight into perspectives of Australian Aboriginal cultural heritage and tradition. After the translation project was completed, a written questionnaire survey and audio-taped interviews were conducted about their personal experiences translating the books. Using Grounded Theory (GT), the author coded the data, conducted critical analysis of the contents, and categorised the themes. The results show that the participants gained an understanding of Australian Aboriginal social practices and cultural values. Furthermore, they have developed learner autonomy in exploring the project-relevant learning through different channels. The students used relevant translation theories, applied translation techniques, and undertook textual analysis, particularly in dealing with culture-loaded contents that characterise the richness and diversity of Australian Aboriginal cultural heritage. It was established that a project-based learning approach is an effective and engaging way for translation students to experiment with their translation skills and different translation theories, achieve linguistic and cross-cultural understanding of Australian Aboriginal culture while participating actively in various organized learning activities. More importantly, they have raised their intercultural awareness and enhanced their intercultural communication competence. Such a project-based, reflective, and exploratory learning approach promotes students' willingness to communicate both orally and in written form as well as the development of their risk-taking and appreciation of cultural diversity. Its pedagogical implications are discussed.