Investigating EFL students’ attitudes towards Ivir’s strategies to overcome cultural difficulties in translation
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Date
2023
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Publisher
University of Oum El Bouaghi
Abstract
Cultural differences between languages pose significant challenges in accurate translation, potentially leading to harmful errors and misjudgments in discussions. The present investigation aims to enhance understanding of EFL students' awareness regarding cultural translation difficulties and the challenges they face when translating cultural elements. Specifically, it aims to investigate the attitudes of students towards Ivir's strategies for overcoming these cultural difficulties. It also attempts to examine students' performance before and after teaching them Ivir's strategies. To achieve these objectives, the study focused on third-year EFL students at Larbi Ben M'Hidi University, selecting a sample of 44 students. To gather data, a questionnaire was used, and a quasi-experimental approach was employed to divide the subjects into two equal groups. The study begins by administering a pre-test to both groups, followed by a treatment period for the experimental group regarding Ivir's strategies. Finally, a post-test is conducted for both groups to measure the progress achieved. The questionnaire findings shed light on students' understanding of the difficulties that arise during cultural translation. It was evident that students encounter difficulties when it comes to translating cultural elements, and there is a general lack of familiarity among them concerning translation strategies, including Ivir's strategies, suggesting a potential benefit in teaching them. The pre-test results showed similar scores for both groups, but the experimental group had slightly higher mean and median scores with greater variability. In the post-test, the experimental group showed significant improvement, outperforming the control group, suggesting that teaching Ivir's strategies had a positive impact on their performance. Based on these findings, a number of pedagogical implications are given to third-year EFL translation curriculum designers. They should promote cultural competence in translation, focus on enhancing cross-cultural communication skills, and add Ivir's strategies to the curriculum.
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Keywords
Cultural translation difficulties; Ivir's strategies