From the American sitcom ‘Seinfeld’ to Modern Standard Arabic: Implicature translation by Arabic EFL students

Comprehension of conversational implicature, a crucial component of pragmatics, is vital for effective communication, specifically in translation between languages with distinct linguistic and cultural structures. This dimension of pragmatic competence, which involves understanding the implied meaning, has been largely ignored in education settings, particularly for Arabic-speaking EFL learners. This study analyzes implicature translation of 30 senior students majoring in English Language and Literature at a university in the United Arab Emirates. The participants were asked to complete an online test administered by the researchers to translate into Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) contextualized conversational implicatures created by the characters of the American sitcom Seinfeld . The results indicated that the participants used different translation strategies: word-for-word translation, literal translation, idiomatic translation, faithful translation, and free translation. The translation strategy used solely depended on the participants’ comprehension of implicature, which could be attributed to their level of proficiency in the language. It was particularly interesting that a positive relationship existed between the understanding of implicatures as a reflection of pragmatic competence and the quality of their translations. This suggests that identification and interpretation of conversational implicatures should be part of the training of Arabic-speaking EFL learners. Better pragmatic competence, therefore, could enhance the students’ translation accuracy. Implications of such findings indicate requisite instructional approaches that incorporate pragmatic awareness in translation training programs among Arab EFL learners. • The study investigates the translation and pragmatic competences of native Arabic-speaking EFL students. • The participants employed various translation strategies, including word-for-word, literal, idiomatic, faithful, and free translation. • It has also become evident in the research that training to recognize and interpret conversational implicatures is of much importance in the EFL context. • The results show that in their training programs, pragmatic awareness is a prerequisite for developing advanced translation skills among Arabic-speaking EFL students.