Translating Education Discourse: Functional Equivalence in Theory and Practice

Abstract

This study presents an English-Chinese translation of an education discourse “Education is Translation: A Metaphor for Change in Learning and Teaching”, which conceptualizes education as dynamic transformation and advocates collaborative, student-centered pedagogies. Addressing the language barrier that prevents Chinese educators from accessing its evidence-based strategies, the project applies Functional Equivalence Theory across three dimensions. At the lexical level, free translation and amplification convey specialized concepts. At the syntactic level, division and conversion restructure complex sentences to conform to Chinese norms. At the textual level, amplification and division reconstruct thematic progression and logical coherence. These strategies achieve equivalent transmission of meaning, logic, and style. The translated output enables Chinese education practitioners to comprehend core insights such as teachers’ transition from authority figures to collaborative partners and the co-construction of knowledge through cultural translation activities. By establishing an accessible bridge to international educational ideas, this project contributes practical references for pedagogical innovation and classroom interaction optimization in Chinese educational contexts.