Think aloud as a tool for implementing observational learning in the translation class

ABSTRACT

Think aloud (TA) is widely used in translation studies to investigate the translation process. However, it also provides materials that can be used in translation training, thus enhancing observational learning, which is known to be an effective approach to knowledge acquisition. In a study carried out in an Italian translation class, participants (N1 = 21) experienced a three-hour training-test session during which they (1) watched tapes of TA translation sessions with a professional translator and other learners (N2 = 6), and (2) performed ‘live’ TA translation sessions in class. Rasch analysis was performed on pre- and post-test questionnaires assessing self-evaluated competences and satisfaction with the tasks. Compared with the regular 100-hour translation programme, the training-test increased learners’ satisfaction with the tasks and their self-evaluation of competences. It also shed light on the translation process, which was perceived as clearer by learners after the training-test, implying that TA can be used as an effective tool for implementing observational learning in the translation class.

KEYWORDS:

• think aloud
• observational learning
• teaching translation
• modeling examples
• translation process

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Note on contributor

Rossella Latorraca is a Ph.D. candidate with scholarship in literary, linguistic and comparative studies at the University of Naples ‘L’Orientale’, and works as a specialized translator. She graduated with honours in linguistics and specialized translation in 2013, at the University of Naples ‘L’Orientale’. She was awarded the 2011 Napoli racconta literary award for French as a Second Language (FSL) writers. Her most recent book, Tradurre l’astronomia: un case-study. Analisi e Traduzione di un testo astronomico (2016, EAI) investigates specialized translation and the challenging task of translating an astronomy-related text. She is a member of European Society for Translation Studies (EST) and Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languanges (TESOL) Italy. Her research focuses on observational learning and episodic memory in case-based reasoning applied to translation training.

ORCID

Rossella Latorraca http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1492-9975