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Introduction
Almost every Taiwanese university has some form of an English Department, some with straightforward names (e.g., Department of English) and some with ambiguous names (e.g., Department of Applied Languages). The so-called 'Applied Courses' are in fact English for Specific Purposes (ESP) courses covering a range of Business and Tourism topics. While pursuing my doctorate I taught these courses as an adjunct lecturer in several universities. This experience continuously reaffirmed suspicions that one particular aspect of English language education was being neglected in Taiwanese secondary and tertiary education, that is, how to translate the names of the foods and dishes that make up the culturally laden Taiwanese cuisine.
Teaching a 'Tour Guide English Practice' course required me to provide future English tour guides with the wherewithal to translate the names of famous Taiwanese dishes for foreign visitors. The goal of this course was more than to provide appropriate translations for specific Taiwanese foods but to instill into these students the qualities of a culturally informed translator. Translation is communication across cultures and students needed to gain an understanding of their future role: a mediator between foreign visitors and their native dishes. This investigation was born out of a personal need to understand the cultural backgrounds of dishes in order to provide students with the most accurate and understandable English translations and by doing so help them gain an understanding of the intricate process involved when making decisions on how to translate the names of foods and dishes that constitute a particular cuisine. Moreover, it was hoped that future teachers, individuals in the tourism industry, and publishers of local ESP textbooks could use the study's outcomes to help ensure the quality of the English translations of Taiwanese food culture provided to foreign tourists.
Literature review
Food is a major part of Taiwanese culture and locals take pride in this aspect of their culture. This near obsession with food led to CNN naming Taipei, Taiwan as the most gluttonous city in the world (CNNGo, 2011). Instead of taking offense, many Taiwanese took pride in the convenience and multitude of affordable tasty food that CNN reported on, enjoying the fact that Taipei was finally getting recognition on a...