International Quidditch: Using Cultural Translation Exercises to Teach Word Choice and Audience

The American edition of "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" has significant changes from the original British version, and every word of a Harry Potter book in translation derives from a translator's decision-making process. Focusing students on British-to-American cultural translation problems in the Harry Potter series encourages students to understand connotation, denotation, and other important characteristics of English language. In this article, the author identifies specific changes made to certain passages from the British first edition of "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone" (1997) and the American edition, which was released in the following year. The author then looks at non-English editions in which translation issues reveal the cultural and linguistic specificity of the original work. Finally, the author suggests several lesson plans that use imaginary translation scenarios to help students practice analyzing word choice and audience. The purpose of these activities is to help students gain greater mastery over audience and diction as well as to encourage students to become aware of how a book may be rooted in a particular culture.