Translating specialist discourse into English L2

Translation into a non-mother tongue, or translation into L2, has been virtually ignored in Translation Studies and often stigmatised as inferior to translating into L1. However, evidence shows that translators are often required to work out of their mother tongue as part of their professional activity and this is particularly true for translations into English. The spread of English as the international lingua franca has led to a situation where the demand far outweighs the availability of English mother-tongue translators. Many of these translations are effectively done by non-native speakers. The present paper discusses current factors affecting the gradually changing attitude towards the translation of specialised discourse into English L2. The theoretical assumptions still prevailing among scholars are contrasted with more practice-oriented views, which not only argue the inevitability of L2 translation, but also strongly support it in various circumstances and settings. Factors affecting directionality and L2 translator competence are investigated with a view to sharpening the focus on a translator-centred approach.