AN AUDIENCE-BASED ANALYSIS OF YORUBA TRANSLATION OF CHRIST APOSTOLIC CHURCH SUNDAY SCHOOL STUDY MANUAL

Abstract: The significance of making the translation fit the target audience lies in the ability to effectively convey the intended message and purpose of the original text to the specific readership. This study titled, “An audience-based appraisal of Yoruba translation of Christ Apostolic Church Sunday School study manual”. It aims to investigate, first, whether the translator of the study manual followed the due process in the production of the Yoruba version of the study manual. Secondly, it examines whether the translations meet the expectation of the receiving audience in term of language and meaning. The current Sunday School study manual, both English and Yoruba texts are being compared to assess how the translator has been able to adapt the message of the author(s), both at the levels of grammar, style and context, to the understanding of the non-English speaking audience. The sections of the booklet selected for analysis are the main theme and Unit I. The unit consists of six lessons. Each lesson is structured into sub-theme, lesson topic, devotional thoughts, and study outline. The selections are considered an adequate representation of the lessons as they will afford the researcher ample opportunity to carry out a thorough analysis of the text. Drawing on functionalist and communicative translation theories (Nida, 1964; Nord, 2018; House, 2015), the paper evaluates how translation choices affect theological clarity, audience accessibility, and rhetorical force. The analysis demonstrates that excessive reliance on literal and structural calque frequently results in reduced communicative effectiveness, theological ambiguity, and diminished emotional engagement. Conversely, strategic deployment of explicitation, transposition, modulation, and adaptation enhance clarity and doctrinal precision. The study argues that translation of theological discourse into Yoruba requires interpretive mediation grounded in biblical theology and audience-oriented functionalism rather than structural imitation of the source text. It is expected that the findings of this research would help improve the quality of translated documents, and as well reposition the Education department of the CAC mission for proper management of interlingual activities.