Dominance of Americanization in a Translation Task: A Pilot Study in the Iranian University Training

Abstract

The present study aims to examine the predominant use of American English in the current language use of studetns of English in Iran. The participants in the study consisted of 40 students of English at Shiraz Islamic Azad University, Iran, who were chosen randomly. A written translation task consisting of two separate lists of 20 Persian words was used. The first list was intended to check their choice of either British or American spellings. The second list, however, tapped their choice of lexical equivalents in either American or British varieties. Statistical analyses were run within the framework of within and between type effects, and the results indicated the priority of American spelling and lexical equivalents over the British variety. The results of the present study would shed light on the current language teaching and learning practices especially when it comes to a choice of international English textbooks available on the market.