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On the Application of Process Approach to Translation Teaching

Author: LiZuoZuo
Tutor: JiangBin
School: Shandong Normal University
Course: Curriculum and Pedagogy
Keywords: Process Approach Translation teaching Teaching processes Translation competence
CLC: H319
Type: Master's thesis
Year: 2009
Downloads: 229
Quote: 2
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Abstract

In China, the traditional translation teaching models are usually Product Approach and Genre Approach. From 1970s, some Western countries began to explore a new teaching method -- Process Approach -- which is a combination of the research achievements of linguistics, sociology, and cognitive psychology, its theoretical base being Communicative Theory. Process Approach, in details, is that the teacher gives a general demand, and then, students make designs, prepare tools and materials, and interact with their teachers and classmates to achieve the predetermined goals in study. In recent years, Process Approach has been discussed and applied mainly to English writing classes, and even art classes.Though it is rare to apply Process Approach to translation teaching, it is still feasible to have a try. First of all, translation teaching is to develop students’comprehensive translation and interpretation abilities. In order to achieve this aim, students are required to engage in translation practice as much as possible. Process Approach is a dynamic approach emphasizing that teaching activities take place in a communicative setting, students should be encouraged and motivated to search for corresponding data by themselves, and then by their interaction with teachers and peers, they achieve their goals. It is clear that the nature and characteristics of Process Approach and translation teaching is consistent. Secondly, translation by nature is a comprehensive subject dealing with literature, sociology, psychology, anthropology, history, linguistics, grammar, rhetoric, etc. In Process Approach, students are endowed with more opportunities to search for data, their curiosity and sensitivity being aroused and developed. Under the teacher’s guidance, they have more interest and initiative to learn knowledge of related subjects, which increase their translation abilities directly or indirectly. The combination of Process Approach and translation teaching can promote the common play of both teacher and students and further increase the connection between translation teaching and other disciplines. Finally, translation needs a large quantity of translation practice so that the students improve themselves in practice and master of techniques. In Process Approach, students try to find and explore translation examples and correlated information as they like. They absorb other students’ideas and perspectives in class interaction, which means they create more translation practice for themselves.This thesis tries to discuss the feasibility, advantages and operability of applying Process Approach to translation teaching supported by a quasi-empirical research. Two classes involve in the experiment with one as the experimental class, and the other being the control class.Process Approach is adopted in the experimental class while Product Approach is adopted in the control class. In addition, a survey with questionnaire and an interview are introduced to help the empirical research. Through the comparison between the two classes, we can see that students of the experimental class have more evident improvement than those of the control class. This thesis got the conclusion mainly from the comparison of the two classes in students’marks and their versions in the post-test. The marks students got in the experimental class are higher than them in the control class. The distribution of marks is more symmetric. The improvement is more evident seen from marks. Seen from the accuracy, fluency and diversity of students’versions, students in experimental class did better than those in control class too. This thesis also lists some examples to illustrate it. Furthermore, unconsciously, students’interest and competence for the whole English courses were improved. The combination of Process Approach and translation teaching not only increases the personal ingredient of translation teaching, which provides students with more practice, and demands change in teaching materials and contents. One characteristic of Process Approach is student-centered. In the process of teaching, it encourages students to exert initiative and activity to participate more practice and activities. From another point, it also has more demands for the teacher. The teacher should arrange some activities which are appreciate for students to exert initiative and activity and create harmonious and relaxed learning atmosphere. At the same time, Process Approach don’t not fix upon teaching a textbook, but absorbing many kinds of materials. Students should find some relevant materials either. Therefore, the contents involved by both the teacher and students are much more diversified and richer.However, current studies on the application of Process Approach to translation teaching are few and new, especially the experimental studies on this aspect. Due to this situation, the materials this thesis can use for reference are very limited. Besides, the students involved in this experimental study are from a vocational college with less foreign language competence than those from universities. Meanwhile, class hours for translation teaching are not enough, as a result, students have less time to study and interact in class. The situations mentioned above make it difficult to carry out this experimental study, and limitations are inevitable.

On the Application of Process Approach to Translation Teaching

Abstract

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