The Effects of Education on Translation Accuracy: A Proposal
EssayChat / Jul 31, 2017
Introduction
This paper is a proposal for research regarding the effect of education at King Saud University in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The University was founded in 1957 and now has a number of colleges in the areas of health, science, and the humanities. There are over 50,000 students. The University has a number of international students from a variety of different cultural backgrounds. During 2008 and 2009 there were 899 undergraduate students and 101 postgraduate students who were not native Saudi students. This amounts to a total of 1102 international students. The University offers a bachelor's degree in English with a concentration in translation. The number of students with different backgrounds who study translation has led to an interest in the effect their native culture may have on their translation between Saudi and English.
A number of scholars have been interested in the effect of culture on the accuracy of translation between two languages. There is a wide range of translation approaches. One approach is to simply do a direct translation from the source text (ST) to the target text (TT). At the opposite end of the spectrum are translations, which allow the translator to adapt the wording of the translation to meet the context of the material. It should be noted that the majority of concepts which apply to the translation of text also apply to speech. A skilled translator will have a sense of the best combination regarding literal translation versus interpretation when translating between two languages.
The translator can be conceptualized as being placed not only between two languages, but two cultures as well. Many times the translator is meeting between two cultures in an attempt to help individuals understand the context within which the language is being used. When there is a significant difference between the two cultures, the translator must be highly educated and skilled in both languages. They must also have a complete understanding of both cultures. The differences between the two cultures can also lead to ideological and conceptual differences. For example, cultures may have ideas and beliefs, which are foreign to outsiders. When this occurs the translator is responsible for not only translating the language in an appropriate cultural context, but will be required to explain the basic underlying concept (Croitoru). This leads naturally to the question of how the translator's culture affects their ability to bridge the two languages.
King Saud University has an English language program which is part of a realization in the Arab world regarding the importance in understanding this language. The most widely spoken language in the world is Chinese. The second most common language is English. Arabic is the fourth most common after Spanish. However, the economic strength of languages in billions of USD is represented below:
1 English 4,271
2 Japanese 1,277
3 German 1,090
4 Russian 801
5 Spanish 738
6 French 669
7 Chinese 448
8 Arabic 359
9 Italian 302
10 Portuguese 234
11 Dutch 203
12 Hindi/Urdu 102
13 Indonesian 65
14 Danish 60
15 Greek 49
From Zughoul (2003)
The economic strength of nations which have English as their official language makes communication in this language essential for all nations hoping to be effective in the international marketplace.
Research Question
The proposed study will investigate the differences between students with bachelor's degrees in English from King Saud University that had a concentration in translation. The cultural background of the interpreter is the dependent variable of interest in this study. The differences under investigation are in regard to translation accuracy, which will be the independent variable. The accuracy of translation will be analyzed for both fidelity and transparency. Fidelity will be defined as the accuracy with which the translation communicates meaning. Transparency will be defined as a translation appearing to have been written in the target language originally. This will be assessed by individuals that are native speakers of the original language. The research question is: Do individuals with a bachelor's degree in English from King Saud University that had a concentration in translation differ in the transparency or fidelity of their translation based upon their cultural background?
Sample
The subjects for this study will be individuals that graduated from King Saud University between 2005 and 2009 with a bachelor's degree in English. They will have had a concentration in translation. There will also need to be a group of native English-speaking volunteers who are fluent in Saudi as a second language and are willing to answer questions regarding facets of their culture.
Independent Variable
The independent variable for this study will be the cultural background of the student.
Dependent Variables
There will be eight dependent variables for this study. The translations will be measured with regard to fidelity and transparency. This will be done for the interpretation of both written and verbal material. This will result in four categories of measurement: Written fidelity, verbal fidelity, written transparency, and verbal transparency. The translators will present their interpretation in both a written and verbal format.
Method
All individuals that graduated from King Saud University between 2005 and 2009 with a bachelor's degree in English and concentration in translation will be contacted as possible subjects for this study. An explanation of the study and invitation to participate will be sent by standard mail and e-mail. The only exclusion criteria will be individuals that had English as their primary language before attending the University.
After obtaining informed consent, the participants will be asked to observe a video recording of native English speakers answering questions. The questions will be in regard to facets of their native culture. They will also be given written responses to a different set of cultural questions by the same English-speaking volunteer.
The participants will provide a written and verbal interpretation, in Saudi, of the native English speakers' responses. Each of the English speaking volunteers will be assigned one interpreter who had a concentration in educational studies and the other who focused on translation. The volunteers will be unaware of the educational background of the interpreters. They will be asked to choose which interpretation appears more accurate with regard to transparency and fidelity.
Value of the Study
This study has the potential to help both the university and students better understand the type of education, which will meet an individual's goals. There is a possibility that the information can help the University design more efficient educational approaches to translation. For example, there is a trend in academia toward using a genre-based curriculum in order to teach English to speakers of other languages. The results of this study may provide sufficient information to help King Saud University determine if this type of curriculum change, or perhaps some other alternative, would be beneficial for those interpreting between Saudi and English.
References
About KSU. King Saud University.
Abu-Arab, A. Redesigning pedagogy in the ESL classroom: A case study. Proceedings of the redesigning pedagogy: Research, policy, practice conference.
Croitoru, E. Creating absence in translation. Romanian Journal of English Studies, 115-127.
Facts and statistics. King Saud University.
Zughoul, M. R. Globalization and ESL/ESL pedagogy in the Arab world. Journal of Language and Learning, 1(2), 1-29.
This paper is a proposal for research regarding the effect of education at King Saud University in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The University was founded in 1957 and now has a number of colleges in the areas of health, science, and the humanities. There are over 50,000 students. The University has a number of international students from a variety of different cultural backgrounds. During 2008 and 2009 there were 899 undergraduate students and 101 postgraduate students who were not native Saudi students. This amounts to a total of 1102 international students. The University offers a bachelor's degree in English with a concentration in translation. The number of students with different backgrounds who study translation has led to an interest in the effect their native culture may have on their translation between Saudi and English.
A number of scholars have been interested in the effect of culture on the accuracy of translation between two languages. There is a wide range of translation approaches. One approach is to simply do a direct translation from the source text (ST) to the target text (TT). At the opposite end of the spectrum are translations, which allow the translator to adapt the wording of the translation to meet the context of the material. It should be noted that the majority of concepts which apply to the translation of text also apply to speech. A skilled translator will have a sense of the best combination regarding literal translation versus interpretation when translating between two languages.
The translator can be conceptualized as being placed not only between two languages, but two cultures as well. Many times the translator is meeting between two cultures in an attempt to help individuals understand the context within which the language is being used. When there is a significant difference between the two cultures, the translator must be highly educated and skilled in both languages. They must also have a complete understanding of both cultures. The differences between the two cultures can also lead to ideological and conceptual differences. For example, cultures may have ideas and beliefs, which are foreign to outsiders. When this occurs the translator is responsible for not only translating the language in an appropriate cultural context, but will be required to explain the basic underlying concept (Croitoru). This leads naturally to the question of how the translator's culture affects their ability to bridge the two languages.
King Saud University has an English language program which is part of a realization in the Arab world regarding the importance in understanding this language. The most widely spoken language in the world is Chinese. The second most common language is English. Arabic is the fourth most common after Spanish. However, the economic strength of languages in billions of USD is represented below:
1 English 4,271
2 Japanese 1,277
3 German 1,090
4 Russian 8015 Spanish 738
6 French 669
7 Chinese 448
8 Arabic 359
9 Italian 302
10 Portuguese 234
11 Dutch 203
12 Hindi/Urdu 102
13 Indonesian 65
14 Danish 60
15 Greek 49
From Zughoul (2003)
The economic strength of nations which have English as their official language makes communication in this language essential for all nations hoping to be effective in the international marketplace.
Research Question
The proposed study will investigate the differences between students with bachelor's degrees in English from King Saud University that had a concentration in translation. The cultural background of the interpreter is the dependent variable of interest in this study. The differences under investigation are in regard to translation accuracy, which will be the independent variable. The accuracy of translation will be analyzed for both fidelity and transparency. Fidelity will be defined as the accuracy with which the translation communicates meaning. Transparency will be defined as a translation appearing to have been written in the target language originally. This will be assessed by individuals that are native speakers of the original language. The research question is: Do individuals with a bachelor's degree in English from King Saud University that had a concentration in translation differ in the transparency or fidelity of their translation based upon their cultural background?
Sample
The subjects for this study will be individuals that graduated from King Saud University between 2005 and 2009 with a bachelor's degree in English. They will have had a concentration in translation. There will also need to be a group of native English-speaking volunteers who are fluent in Saudi as a second language and are willing to answer questions regarding facets of their culture.
Independent Variable
The independent variable for this study will be the cultural background of the student.
Dependent Variables
There will be eight dependent variables for this study. The translations will be measured with regard to fidelity and transparency. This will be done for the interpretation of both written and verbal material. This will result in four categories of measurement: Written fidelity, verbal fidelity, written transparency, and verbal transparency. The translators will present their interpretation in both a written and verbal format.
Method
All individuals that graduated from King Saud University between 2005 and 2009 with a bachelor's degree in English and concentration in translation will be contacted as possible subjects for this study. An explanation of the study and invitation to participate will be sent by standard mail and e-mail. The only exclusion criteria will be individuals that had English as their primary language before attending the University.
After obtaining informed consent, the participants will be asked to observe a video recording of native English speakers answering questions. The questions will be in regard to facets of their native culture. They will also be given written responses to a different set of cultural questions by the same English-speaking volunteer.
The participants will provide a written and verbal interpretation, in Saudi, of the native English speakers' responses. Each of the English speaking volunteers will be assigned one interpreter who had a concentration in educational studies and the other who focused on translation. The volunteers will be unaware of the educational background of the interpreters. They will be asked to choose which interpretation appears more accurate with regard to transparency and fidelity.
Value of the Study
This study has the potential to help both the university and students better understand the type of education, which will meet an individual's goals. There is a possibility that the information can help the University design more efficient educational approaches to translation. For example, there is a trend in academia toward using a genre-based curriculum in order to teach English to speakers of other languages. The results of this study may provide sufficient information to help King Saud University determine if this type of curriculum change, or perhaps some other alternative, would be beneficial for those interpreting between Saudi and English.
References
About KSU. King Saud University.
Abu-Arab, A. Redesigning pedagogy in the ESL classroom: A case study. Proceedings of the redesigning pedagogy: Research, policy, practice conference.
Croitoru, E. Creating absence in translation. Romanian Journal of English Studies, 115-127.
Facts and statistics. King Saud University.
Zughoul, M. R. Globalization and ESL/ESL pedagogy in the Arab world. Journal of Language and Learning, 1(2), 1-29.