Exploring the Undergraduate Students Perception on Translation - A Preliminary Step to Teach Translation in EFL Classes (original) (raw)
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A Study on EFL Learners’ Belief about Translation as a Learning Strategy in Indonesia
Kervan. International Journal of Afro-Asiatic Studies, 2019
Although it sounds controversial, the practice of foreign language learning tends to consist of the use of translation. Therefore, the main aims of this study are to investigate EFL learners’ belief about translation, the use of translation as their EFL learning strategy, and to find out the correlation between their belief about translation and the use of translation as their EFL learning strategy. This study was conducted through a quantitative approach in which the data were collected by using two kinds of questionnaires. Based on the findings, Indonesian EFL learners believe that translation helps them acquire English skills and other English language aspects. They use translation as their language learning strategy for learning EFL skills and aspects such as speaking, reading, writing, listening, vocabulary, grammar, and idioms and phrases. This study also reveals that there is a correlation between EFL learners’ belief about translation and their use of translation as an EFL l...
EFL Learners’ Attitudes Toward Translation: A Case Study On 19 Mayıs University Prep Class Students
DergiPark (Istanbul University), 2022
Translation is indispensable in various areas of our lives. Language learning is one of the areas where translation is often used. Although the use of translation in language education has been a controversial topic among scholars and educators, it is without doubt that it plays an important role in the various parts of the process. Therefore, the importance of analysing students’ attitudes toward translation during the language learning process arises. Based on this opinion, this study aims to examine the attitudes toward translation and the use of translation as a strategy in the process of learning English among 19 Mayıs University prep class students who were categorized into two groups as the Upper group and the Lower group. The Upper group consists of Upper Intermediate and Advanced level students while the lower group consists of Pre-intermediate and Intermediate level students. Two questionnaires were carried out on the students and the findings were analysed comparatively. As a result of the comparative analysis, the study revealed that the proficiency level of the students did not play an important role in shaping their beliefs about translation’s role in language learning and the Upper group tended to use translation as a strategy more commonly compared to the Lower group. Keywords: Attitude, Language Learning, Strategy, Translation
The argument on the potential importance of using EFL/ESL learners' source language inside English classrooms has been a subject for prolonged discussions and brainstorming sessions for a big number of language scholars and professionals. The current study attempted to investigate EFL learners and teachers' perspectives on the role of translation in language learning. Two modified versions of [PRTLQ] translation questionnaire (Afzal, 2013) are administered to randomly selected 50 EFL students from level 3 and level 8.In addition, 20 Arab teachers from Foreign Languages Department at Faculty of Arts and Humanities of Albaha University, KSA were given the teacher version questionnaire in the academic year 2015/2016. Results of the study indicate that there is statistically significant difference in views on the usefulness of L1 translation between EFL learners and teachers in favor of the learners. In addition, level three students differ in their perceptions on translation from level eight in favor of those of level three. Furthermore, EFL teachers' attitudes toward translation don't correlate with the variable of academic degree, but they correlate with years of experience and translation or interpretation experience variables respectively. The findings can have remarkable implications for EFL teachers concerning the appropriateness of L1 translation in language learning contexts as an incremental productive teaching approach that might lead to an increase in overall English as a foreign language learning outcomes.
It has been found that translation is an efficient means to teach/learn grammar, syntax, and lexis of a foreign language. Meanwhile, translation is good for beginners who do not still enjoy the critical level of proficiency in their target language for expression. This study was conducted to examine the teachers and learners' perceptions of employing translation in the foreign language classroom; i.e., the effects, merits, demerits, limitations, as well as its use as a method, strategy or technique. Both quantitative and qualitative methods were used to collect and analyze the data from graduate and undergraduate learners (n=56) and teachers (n=44), male and female, who responded to two questionnaires. Additionally, only the teachers were interviewed to gain richer insight into their perceptions and attitudes. According to the results of independent samples t-test, there was no significant difference between teachers and learners' attitude to applying translation as a method, strategy, or technique in learning a foreign language. Based on the interview results, some teachers believed that employing translation in the foreign language context was helpful but not constantly. They claimed that translation was only effective in teaching vocabulary and grammar apart from leaners' proficiency level as it can clarify meaning. But some other teachers noted that mother tongue would interfere with learning foreign language; they considered translation as a time-consuming activity through which students cannot capture the exact meaning.
Translation can be used as a learning strategy by students who learn their academic subjects through English as the Medium of Instruction (EMI). The purpose of this study is to investigate the perceptions of students towards the use of translation at university level courses offered in English at various departments. This qualitative research characterized as a case study consists of an interview developed to interpret how students relate translation to developing subject matter knowledge. The data were collected through written interviews with students of international relations, political science, international trade and marketing, and business administration. The data were analyzed using qualitative methods and suggest that most students turn to translation as a tool for both understanding the subject matter and learning new vocabulary; however, they were found to have limited knowledge of and even some misconceptions towards the potential uses of translation. The findings also provide implications for learning and researching through activities that involve translation, thus enabling learners to actively participate in the process of acquisition of content knowledge through active translation.
International Journal of Education and Literacy Studies
It has been found that translation is an efficient means to teach/learn grammar, syntax, and lexis of a foreign language. Meanwhile, translation is good for beginners who do not still enjoy the critical level of proficiency in their target language for expression. This study was conducted to examine the teachers and learners’ perceptions of employing translation in the foreign language classroom; i.e., the effects, merits, demerits, limitations, as well as its use as a method, strategy or technique. Both quantitative and qualitative methods were used to collect and analyze the data from graduate and undergraduate learners (n=56) and teachers (n=44), male and female, who responded to two questionnaires. Additionally, only the teachers were interviewed to gain richer insight into their perceptions and attitudes. According to the results of independent samples t-test, there was no significant difference between teachers and learners’ attitude to applying translation as a method, strat...
EFL Learners' Beliefs about and Strategy Use of Translation in English Learning
Although the use of translation in learning a foreign language is much maligned by language teachers, translation is widely used in learners' foreign language learning process. It appears that learners often use translation as a learning strategy to comprehend, remember, and produce a foreign language. However, relatively little research attention so far seems to have been devoted to a consideration of the use of translation in language learning. Thus, this study aims to explore the role of translation in Taiwanese college students' English learning, particularly in terms of their learning beliefs and learning strategies about using translation to learn English. The data from survey questionnaires and qualitative interviews will address the following research questions: (1) What are students' beliefs about using translation to learn English? (2) What learning strategies employing translation do students report using? (3) What are the relationships among learners' beliefs about and use of translation? (4) To what extent do learners' background variables relate to their beliefs about and use of translation? Pedagogical implications are also discussed. The results of the study hope to sensitize EFL teachers to various learning strategies involving translation and to the possible benefits of using translation for English learning reported by the students.
Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research), 2022
This study aimed to explore the differences in processes done by students with different foreign language proficiencies in translating an English text into Indonesian. The subjects of the study were 27 students majoring in English Education, Ganesha University of Education, Indonesia. The data were gathered using two types of instruments, namely test and questionnaire. There were two types of tests, namely the TOEFL-like test and the translation test. The translation results were scored using three criteria proposed by Larson (1984), namely accuracy, clarity, and naturalness. The two first instruments were used to gain quantitative data. The gathered data by these instruments were analyzed using Pearson Correlation Test Method. The questionnaire was used to gain qualitative data. These gathered data were analyzed based on the translation process theory proposed by Bell (1991). The findings show that foreign language proficiency does influence students' translation ability with a coefficient of determination of 0.347. It leads to an interpretation that the translation process can also have a valuable influence on the ability of the students in translating English texts into Indonesian. It is supported by the results of qualitative data analyses that show the more processes the students do, the higher the score of their translation. These findings implicate that translation process theory is one of the important factors in translation training for undergraduate students.
EFL Learners' Use of Translation as a Learning Strategy
The purpose of the study was to explore whether learners use translation as a learning strategy in learning English. For this purpose, the research sought answers for the research questions investigating about the type of translation related strategies employed by Turkish EFL learners in learning English and the effects of some factors on the use of translation as a learning strategy. In reviewing the literature, it was seen that that language learners use some strategies in their foreign language learning process. Cognitive strategies were suggested to be one of language learning strategies that are mostly used by learners in improving their skills in the foreign language. In addition, it was also seen that, as one of the cognitive strategies, translation was used in learning a language by foreign language learners. Although some teachers and researchers present negative attitudes towards the use of this strategy in teaching a language, some put emphasis on the necessity and the role of translation in the development of learning. The researchers conducted a quantitative research with 159 students about the use of translation as a learning strategy. The participants were attending at a preparatory class in a state university and their ages ranged between 18 and 34. A questionnaire was comprised of some information concerning the students' gender and education background and translation strategy use. Data were statistically using SPSS package program and the results were presented in the tables. The findings showed that most of the learners use translation as a learning strategy and find it useful and important especially in thinking in their native language first and translate into the target language. Furthermore, it was seen that the learners with high proficiency level utilize translation as a learning strategy less than those with low proficiency level. Based on these findings of the study some recommendations were yielded.