An integrated approach to teaching translation practice: teacher’s approach and students’ evaluation

ABSTRACT

University programmes on translation usually include courses/modules for translation practice. In teaching translation practice, different teachers adopt different teaching approaches. The effectiveness of a teaching approach is usually governed by some contextual factors and may be evaluated in different ways including student evaluation. The Department of Translation Studies at the UAE University offers a number of courses with modules for English-Arabic and/or Arabic-English translation practice. An integrated approach has been used in teaching translation practice in three courses for four terms, with the portfolio being used as a tool of learning and assessment in two terms (Spring and Fall 2016). The aim of this study is to share the teaching approach with fellow teachers and to evaluate its effectiveness based on students’ feedback. The questionnaire was used as a tool to collect primary data from sixty-six students. Analysis of quantitative and qualitative data shows that the majority of students find the teaching approach and the translation practice portfolio useful for their learning, especially in developing and/or improving their translation skills (i.e. text analysis, rendering and revision), language skills, problem-solving skills, interaction skills, collaboration skills, vocabulary, and awareness of ethical responsibility.

KEYWORDS:

• Teaching translation practice
• translation methodology
• integrated approach
• portfolio
• English
• Arabic

Acknowledgments

The author is grateful to Dr Ferhat Mameri for proofreading and giving invaluable comments. The author is also grateful to Professor AbdarRhman Al-Mekhlafi, Professor Mohamed Al-Zyoudi and Ms. Hasna Ahmed S. Khethail for assisting with the SPSS analysis of the research data.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.