Purpose of the study: This study aimed at finding out the Islamic terms used as well as translated by English lecturers in English conversations, the strategies used by English lecturers in translating the Islamic terms in English conversations, the reasons why they use the strategies, and the contexts when they use and translate the Islamic terms in English conversations.
Methodology: This research applied a qualitative study by involving seven English lecturers at State Islamic Institute of Curup, Bengkulu, Indonesia. The data were garnered from interviews and observations. The data were analyzed using an interactive model of data analysis.
Main Findings: This research has found that the English lecturers used, and to some extent translated nineteen Islamic terms during English conversations. Those terms subsumed Assalammu’alaikum Warahmatullahi wa barakaatuh, InshaAllah, Bismillahirrohmannirrohiiim, Alhamdulillah, Adzan, Aamiiin, Allahuakbar, Haram, Halal, Ka’bah, Munkar, Subhanallah, Al-Qur’an, Iman, Sholat, hajj, Saum, Allah, and Masjidil Haram. Most of the lecturers used borrowed or loan words and general word-use or synonymous word strategies in translating the Islamic terms. There were some reasons for the uses of borrowing or general word-use strategies. For the use of borrowing strategy, the reasons were: first they had limited vocabularies for Islamic terms. Second, they borrowed the Islamic terms because such terms had already been common to be used in their original forms. Third, they lacked of knowledge on the translation of Islamic terms in English. Fourth, they wanted to Maintain Moslem’s identity. Subsequently, for the use of general word-use strategy or synonym, the lecturer applying this strategy had a reason that in English speaking the Islamic terms should be translated into English albeit using words with similar meanings in a general sense. Furthermore, the Islamic terms were mostly used in the classrooms and in the opening as well as closing of teaching and learning processes.
Applications of this study: This research will be useful for universities, lecturers, students, and non-native English speakers that are common to be engaged in English conversations framed by Islamic discourses.
Novelty/Originality of this study: Many studies as regards the English translation of Islamic terms have been conducted in the field of a written mode of translation. However, to the best of the researchers’ knowledge, very few studies have been oriented towards translation strategies of Islamic terms in a spoken mode, or in this regard, English conversations. This case is worth researching, and this research seeks to fulfill this gap.
The Translation Process: Methods and Problems of its Investigation