Investigating translation strategies: EFL students' approaches to idiomatic expressions

This paper is focused on finding which translation strategies among literal, paraphrasing, and cultural equivalents are used by English as a Foreign Language (EFL) students from the University “Fehmi Agani” in Gjakova when translating English idioms into their native Albanian language. They understand that idioms are paramount to fluency and comprehending the target language's culture. In the study, the researchers explain the problems that idiomatic expressions cause because of their sources and cultural backgrounds. Using a mixed method – qualitative methods including questionnaires distributed to 57 students, the study’s results have shown a noticeable tendency to overuse paraphrasing rather than literal translations. This tendency reveals most students' attitudes towards translation as targeted towards a system of linguistic forms and a particular meaning. The brand distribution of italicized lexical units highlights the students’ approach to translations more in cultural and particularly idiomatic contexts rather than through words. The study highlights the role of idioms in communication in a second language and suggests a more in-depth study of idioms to obtain high-quality translations.