ENGLISH-MAJORED STUDENTS’ COMMON TRANSLATION MISTAKES AND THEIR SOLUTIONS: VOICES FROM STUDENTS

Abstract

Along with the translation industry's increasing global growth, Can Tho University (CTU) hopes to train highly skilled translators in order to satisfy the needs of society. At Can Tho University, Translation courses are considered a useful subject not only for translation majors but also for all English- majored students. In the fourth academic year, students participate in some translation courses. For English-majored students in general, the Translation courses are aimed not only at providing intensive training on translation skills but also at reinforcing knowledge of grammar and vocabulary. In addition, they provide translation skills by practicing the translation of documents. Through the course, the researchers have noticed that, in addition to progress in their translation skills, language students also encounter some issues in conveying messages from English to Vietnamese and vice versa. This study aims to fill the knowledge gap when it comes to translation mistakes analysis in Vietnamese-English translation and vice versa. The research investigates typical mistakes made by English-majored students and suggests solutions to improve their translation capabilities. In line with the tendency of using a student-centred model, this study was conducted to identify the translation equivalence problems encountered by 63 students from the two classes of fourth-year English major students at School of Foreign Languages (SFL) at CTU when they studied the subject Technical Translation and to propose solutions. The study explores the perspectives of students to gain insights into the experiences of students when translating, and the strategies recommended by students to help them better understand the language. The research will identify common mistakes to recommend solutions that can be implemented in the classroom. By gathering data from students, this study provides a more holistic understanding of the challenges faced by student translators and how they perceive language, which can help them succeed in real-world translations. In conclusion, the study sheds light on the common mistakes of English-majored students and proposes solutions to improve their translation skills. A baseline survey, questionnaire, and semi-structured interview were the research instruments utilized in the study in order to get the most accurate results. The three basic categories of mistakes in translation covered by this thesis are linguistic mistakes, comprehension mistakes, and translation mistakes. The methodology used to analyse the study's translation mistakes was influenced by Phạm Thu Quỳnh Na (2005). Because it is suitable and practical for Vietnamese learners and includes clear instructions, this type of model was selected as the study's main theoretical framework. The current study makes use of this framework to analyse and evaluate translation errors in a thorough manner. There have been several pedagogical suggestions made for instructors of translation to use in their classrooms to minimize students’ errors during translation practices.