Lexical Density as a Readability Indicator in Translations of Children’s Literature

Authors

  • Daniel Nedelcu "Alexandru Ioan Cuza" University of Iași Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.69475/

Keywords:

readability, translation, children's literature, lexical density, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

Abstract

Translating children’s literature poses the issue of the target audience’s developmental limitations. The readability of a text directly engages their cognitive capacity and impacts their motivation to read. Translators must make sure they consider the readability of a translation and how it relates to the target audience. As Romanian currently does not have an established readability index, grammatical features which impact readability can be used to measure it. Lexical density can reveal how dynamic a text is, as well as how packed it is with an information load. Together with other grammatical features, it can be used by translators to measure readability and adapt their translations in accordance. However, density by itself does not paint a complete picture, especially without taking into account the lexical and semantic aspect of the text (such as regionalisms and archaisms in Romanian).

Author Biography

  • Daniel Nedelcu, "Alexandru Ioan Cuza" University of Iași

    Daniel Nedelcu is currently a PhD candidate in English and American Literature at the Faculty of Letters, "Alexandru Ioan Cuza" University of Iasi. He has experience teaching ESL at all levels (primary through undergraduate), as well as in translations and interpreting. He has an undergraduate diploma in Translation Studies and an MA in American Cultural Studies, both from UAIC.

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Published

16-12-2024

How to Cite

Lexical Density as a Readability Indicator in Translations of Children’s Literature. (2024). RATE Issues, 32(2). https://doi.org/10.69475/