Enhancing students’ problem identification in translation teaching in an English language program

The study found that students diverted their attention from linguistic problems to other non-linguistic ones (extralinguistic issues related to extratextual features and general style conventions) after the workshops. This change led to some students’ attempts to avoid word-forword translation and produce more idiomatic translation solutions as shown in the analysis of titles. Recommendations were made on the inclusion of text analysis and problem identification in developing students’ translation skills.
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Enhancing students’ problem identification in translation teaching in an English language programVNU Journal of Foreign Studies, Vol.36, No.4 (2020) 63-79 63 ENHANCING STUDENTS’ PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION IN TRANSLATION TEACHING IN AN ENGLISH LANGUAGE PROGRAM Nguyen Thi Thu Huong* University of Foreign Language Studies, University of Danang, 131 Luong Nhu Hoc, Cam Le, Danang, Vietnam Received 16 April 2020 Revised 07 June 2020; Accepted 22 July 2020 Abstract: Teaching translation in Vietnam and other contexts tends to overemphasise linguisticissues in translation and lack focus on students’ translation process. Drawing on a functional approachto translation, this pedagogical study investigates students’ identification of translation problems (part ofstrategic competence) in a translation course in a tertiary English language program. The differences instudents’ ability to identify translation problems were evaluated through a contrastive examination of aqualitative analysis of students’ written reflections on the translation tasks and their translation solutionsboth before and after the workshops. The study found that students diverted their attention from linguisticproblems to other non-linguistic ones (extralinguistic issues related to extratextual features and generalstyle conventions) after the workshops. This change led to some students’ attempts to avoid word-for-word translation and produce more idiomatic translation solutions as shown in the analysis of titles.Recommendations were made on the inclusion of text analysis and problem identification in developingstudents’ translation skills. Keywords: translation teaching, translation process, translation problems, translation problemidentification, text analysis1. Introduction 1 in Vietnam who are often expected to engage The pressures caused by the increased in professional translation work usually lackglobal and local demand for translation the skills and ability to do so (Ho & Bui,services and the lack of professional translator 2013; T. T. Nguyen, 2010). This can be linkedtraining in Vietnam are directed to translation with the problematic translation teaching atcourses in foreign language programs at the the tertiary level in Vietnam, which is usuallytertiary level which are expected to train part of language programs. Some studies (Hograduates with adequate skills for employment. and Bui, 2013; T.T. Nguyen, 2010; Pham andNevertheless, graduates of English programs Ton, 2007; Pham and Tran, 2013) reported that students’ translation ability was limited* Tel.: 84-787582425 due to their lack of an adequate understanding Email: huong2kh@gmail.com; ntthhuong@ufl.udn.vn of the source text and their difficulties in finding target language equivalents. Students This research is funded by Funds for Science and Technology Development of the University of also complained that they were not equipped Danang under project number B2019-DN05-25 with translation strategies and analytical64 N. T. T. Huong / VNU Journal of Foreign Studies, Vol.35, No.6 (2019) 63-79ability in dealing with a translation task. Ho capacity in translation, educators should payand Bui (2013) found that the most common attention to other translation issues includingproblems encountered by students are related problems with text types or translationto word usage and grammar errors. In other situations. This study adopts the view of thewords, students mainly focus on linguistic functional approach to translation which goesaspects of translation and linguistic problems beyond the linguistic issues in raising students’and in many cases and they tend to produce awareness of different translation problemstoo literal or word-for-word translations. and improving their translations. The study will inform translation teaching at the tertiary Other studies done in many countries level in Vietnam and other countries.including Indonesia, Iran, China and Thailand(Avval, 2013; Chen, 2010; Saleh & Weda, 2. Literature review2018; Wongranu, 2017) reported similarproblems in translation teaching. Saleh and This section presents problemWeda (2018) who investigated the poetry identification and justification in teachingtranslation of students in an English program translation. It will also present key elementsin an Indonesian university revealed that of the functional approach to translation thatmany students had problems and difficulties in will be beneficial to enhancing students’translating vocabulary and sentence structures. ability to identify problems and justify theirWongranu (2017) found that students in translations.Thailand made grammatical errors due to 2.1 Problem identification and problem-their use of read and translate procedures and solvingthey produced too literal translation. This ledto students’ anxiety and lack of confidence in Problem identification and justificationtranslating. In these classes, teachers hadthe are consider ...