Challenges in the sworn translation of the French acte de mariage: categorization of translation problems and students' perception of teacher feedback

Abstract

This article analyses the challenges of sworn translation of French marriage certificates (actes de mariage) into Spanish from a functionalist perspective. In the first part of this study and based on a corpus of 12 real documents, five categories of translation problems are identified: proper names, postal addresses, official titles and institutions, cryptic terms, and stereotyped phraseological set formulas. In the second part of this study, 56 translation assignments evaluated in a university course are examined to determine whether the students in the bachelor’s degree in Translation and Interpreting at Pablo de Olavide University identify the same translation problems and to assess their solutions. The results show a significant correlation between the translation problems identified by students and the categories established in the study, suggesting that the didactic approach is effective. Moreover, within the framework of the RetroTrad project, the study analyzes students’ perception of teacher feedback through a survey conducted with the same participants. Most students find the evaluation criteria clear and the feedback useful, although they express a need for more personalized and detailed comments. The study highlights the importance of improving legal translation training by providing tools to address specific challenges and optimizing feedback in the classroom. Finally, it emphasizes that the combination of continuous assessment through translation assignments and effective feedback in class contributes to the development of better-prepared translators for the professional field.