The Role of Pragmatics in Translating Phatic Expressions from English into Arabic

Abstract

The present study aims at investigating the relation between pragmatics and phatic expressions of third year students at the Department of English, University of Guelma, since their phatic competence is not enough to enhance t heir performance in translation. This study is carried out to raise 3 rd year EFL students’ awareness and strengthen their knowledge of translating these expressions, and especially providing strategies and solutions in order to achieve a successful translation. Thus, it is hypothesized that the study and the understanding of these expressions awareness-raising allows them to enhance their phatic competence. The obtained results from the questionnaire and the test reveal that most of the students’ performance in translating phatic expressions has been satisfactory, because most of them did not find difficulties to understand and to translate the meaning of these expressions.