Khóa luận tốt nghiệp: BE seniors’ perception of Translation courses and their desire to work as a translator after completing Translation courses in Faculty of Foreign Languages at National Economics University.

Ngô Thị Phương Anh — 11190236 — Business English 61BEXECUTIVE SUMMARY Translation is a required course in the faculty of foreign languages.. 107 formulated the followingrules: - translat

NGO THI PHUONG ANH

BE SENIORS’ PERCEPTION OF TRANSLATION COURSES AND

THEIR DESIRE TO WORK AS A TRANSLATOR AFTER COMPLETING TRANSLATION COURSES IN FACULTY OF

FOREIGN LANGUAGES AT NATIONAL ECONOMICS

UNIVERSITY

Hanoi, November 2022

NGO THI PHUONG ANH

BE SENIORS’ PERCEPTION OF TRANSLATION COURSES AND

THEIR DESIRE TO WORK AS A TRANSLATOR AFTER COMPLETING TRANSLATION COURSES IN FACULTY OF

FOREIGN LANGUAGES AT NATIONAL ECONOMICS

UNIVERSITY

Supervisor: M Tran Minh Chau

Hanoi, November 2022

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The accomplishment of this study required the assistance of numerous people;without their help, this research would not have achieved its objectives The authorwould like to express their gratitude to the following individuals for their assistance

and support.

First and foremost, I would like to express my deep gratitude to the Faculty ofForeign Languages at the National Economics University for providing me with anacademic and dynamic learning environment

I wish to express my heartfelt appreciation to my study instructor, M TranMinh Chau of National Economics University, for providing me with researchopportunities and helpful support during this project Her enthusiasm, ambition, andsincerity have really impressed me It was an honor to work and learn under hersupervision

My special thanks go to 75 BE seniors at NEU who helped me to answer mysurvey questions These honest and detailed responses helped me with the research

Last but not least, I'm eternally grateful to my parents and siblings for theirendless love and care, which have motivated me for my whole life, especially duringthis research My thanks to their support and companionship all the time

I attempted to collect all relevant materials on this issue There may beshortcomings, factual errors, or incorrect opinions for which I am responsible, but Iwill strive to do better in the future

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Translation is a required course in the faculty of foreign languages Every BEstudent is required to pass at least two modules in this field This study is based on thecollected data on 75 BE senior students to find out the following points:

e The majority of students have a positive attitude towards the courses

e Students are aware of the benefits that the courses bring as well as the

difficulties they face in the process of learning translation

e Some of the BE students who responded to the survey intended to specialize

in translation

On the basis of the findings, some final-year students at the Faculty of ForeignLanguages have decided to become translators after receiving actual translationtraining Learners should cultivate more language and specialized knowledge in order

to earn a good living At the same time, it aids students in reaching their differentgoals in their future job path

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TABLE OF FIGURES

Figure 3.1 Translation ability of BE S€nIOTS 555cc +£+scessersses 24

Figure 3.2 Attitudes towards transÏafIO 5 «+ + x++vssesseresrrees 24 Figure 3.3 Final year BE students’ perspective on two types of translation25

Figure 3.4 Translation practicing time every week - ca 26

Figure 3.5 Benefits of translation COULSES - c5 se Si 27 Figure 3.6 Difficulties in the translation COUTS€S ¿5-5555 <+++ss+<x 29 Figure 3.7 How to deal with difficulties in the translation process 31 Figure 3.8 Factors affecting translation quaÏ1tY -.- -s- «<< +s++++ 32 Figure 3.9 The role of teachers in improving translation skills 34 Figure 3.10 Satisfaction with the translation COUTSeS « 35

Figure 3.11 Actual situations as a translator or translation collaborator after

0000 NA 36 Figure 3.12 Motivation to be a tranSÏAfOT- - 55c + <++cxsseresereees 37

ii

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Ngô Thị Phương Anh — 11190236 — Business English 61B

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS o 5G HH TH 0000000000000 i

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 0 cọ HH 0000008010600 400460060060900 i TABLE OF EIGU RES o- <5 <5 s Họ 0.0000 11001080 ii LIST OF ABBREVIATION iii

TABLE OF CONTENTS 5-0000 008 00000 90 i

CHAPTER I: INTRODUCCTTION 5 <5 <5 < 5< s4 HH HH 0000400000050 1 CHAPTER II: LITERATURE REVIEW c G0000 6

“N00 da 6

2.1.1 Definition of Translation a 6 2.1.2 The importance of Translation ccccccceseeceesscessceseeeseeeeeeeeeseeeaeceeeeeeeeeeeeeeeaeenes 8 2.1.3 Methods of Translation ccccceesceseesecesecesececeeceeeceseceseceaeceeseeeseeeaeeeseseaeeaees 10

2.1.4 Common mistakes in TTrannSÏafIOII G5 119113113 11331 811 91 9 1v re, 12

2.1.4.1 Language ©TTOT - ó- <1 TH HT TH HH rh 12 2.1.4.2 Comprehension €TTOT - cee 6 6 S2 S4 1E 1E HH HH ng 16

2.1.4.3 Transmission €TTOT - 5G c5 E3 3211831113931 185311 91118 111v ng 16 2.2 Tramslation 0i s5 17

2.2.1 ClassroOM aSS€SSINII - G2 211111111911 111911111111 TH TH ng TH nh 17 2.2.2 Classroom assessment In translation courses at FFL — NEU - 21 P3 200000 21 CHAPTER II: FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION 0o G5908 56 24

3.1 BE students’ perception of translation courses in FFL — NEU - ‹- 24

3.2 Benefits and difficulties that BE students have during translation courses in FFL

-NEU 3+* Ố.Ố 26

3.2.1 Benefits that BE students obtain from translation COUTSES - ‹ - 26

3.2.2 Difficulties that BE students have to deal with during translation courses 29 3.2.3 Satisfaction level of students of translation courses in FFL — NEU 34

3.3 BE students’ desire to work as a translator after completing these courses in the

Faculty of Foreign Languages — NEU - 6s k1 SH HH HH ng nếp 35 CHAPTER IV: CONCILLUSTON o5 G5 G5 9 I0 00600886 39

4.1 Major findings 39

Pu 0 ae 39 4.3 Suggestions for further research - s1 0 930 911 911v HH ng rệt 40

REEERENCES 0 5 5c cọ II 0.000 000090090 1 APPENDIX Ă SH HH HH HH G0060000408084844080008004408008400004004008100084000050 3

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CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION

1.1 Rationale

The ancient apes progressively stood upright millions of years ago, owing tothe effort, using their legs free to move and increasingly dexterous hands to seek forfood and fight off attackers The tremendous significance of labor, however, is notjust in fostering that evolutionary process, but also as a critical underpinning for braingrowth The ancient primates were adept at acting like humans, whose distinguishingfeature is language Language is the most important trait for humans to evolve intoprimates Since its appearance, languages have been very diverse and vivid Eachnation has its own language Even though there are language barriers, people have thedesire to comprehend the language of their fellow humans Consequently, theappearance of translation was thousands of years ago The ancients consideredtranslation as a form of knowledge transfer That is also the foundation for thedevelopment of translation at present

The translation is crucial in human life, particularly in the context of

present-world integration As mentioned above, the initial objective of translation was totransfer academic information and various specific topics relating to socio-culture,politics, or science However, translation is currently used in almost every aspect oflife People use written document translation to impart knowledge and information,

as well as for amusement purposes, such as translating administrative papers,contracts, reports, news, books, poems, and stories Knowing a foreign languagedoes not imply that you can translate it into another Translation necessitates that thetranslator is equally competent in both the source and target languages They mustalso integrate translation theory frameworks, methodologies, and techniques, as well

as be aware of faults relating to the culture, semantics, and contexts of the languagesinto which they are transitioning

Translation is also a required course in the English Linguistics and Literaturetraining program in many universities in Vietnam, including National EconomicsUniversity, notably at the Faculty of Foreign Languages Translation theory andtranslation practice are both included

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For BE seniors at National Economics University, they have been trained intranslation practice through at least 2 modules equivalent to 4 credits The goal of thisstudy is to analyze the perspectives of 4th-year BE students at FFL - NEU aboutTranslation Understanding the difficulties that learners confront, as well as theknowledge and skills that students acquire during the course, is also a factor indeveloping the FFL’s teaching quality Furthermore, final-year BE students have beenable to approach and practice translation as a career-oriented opportunity This is alsothe time when students begin to make career selections As a result, the process ofstudying translation at university allows students to acknowledge if they areappropriate for translation and whether they want to pursue a career as a translatorafter completing the Translation course in the Faculty of Foreign Languages.Consequently, the authors decided to conduct research on the topic: “BE seniors’perception of Translation courses and their desire to work as a translator aftercompleting Translation courses in Faculty of Foreign Languages at NationalEconomics University”

1.2 Purpose of the research

The research aim is:

- To investigate BE students’ perception of translation courses and their desire

to work as a translator after completing these courses in the Faculty of ForeignLanguages - NEU.

- To suggest some possible solutions to help BE students have a better result ontranslation courses and a more precise orientation to the translation profession

1.3 Scope of the research

The main subjects of the study are final year BE students at NEU

Time scope: from August to October 2022

1.4 Research questions

The research is to find out the answers to the following research questions:

- What are students’ attitudes toward these courses?

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- What are the benefits and difficulties that BE students have during translationcourses?

- Do students desire to pursue translation after completing 2 translation modules

at FFL - NEU?

1.5 Methodology

This research used quantitative research method to analyze the BE students’perception of Translation courses and their desire to work as a translator after

completing Translation courses in FFL - NEU.

The data used in this study based on primary data Primary data sources werecollected from survey questionnaires, which were synthesized and analyzed in detail

by the author in chapter 3 of this study

1.5.1 Instruments

In this study a survey questionnaire is used to collect data from respondentswho expressed their perspectives on the translation courses at FFL and theiraspirations to work as a translator

The 12 statements in this questionnaire were divided into 2 main clustersinclude: (1) BE students’ perception of translation courses at FFL — NEU; (2) BEstudents’ desire to work as a translator after completing these courses at the Faculty

of Foreign Languages — NEU.

1.5.2 Procedure

After systematizing the theoretical basis of translation and learners’ perception

of the translation course, the author proceeds to build a survey questionnaire Theselected survey method is an online survey designed on the google form platform Theonline survey is sent to BE students at National Economics University through socialnetworking applications such as Zalo, Facebook, and other online platforms such asemail A total of 75 people participated in this survey

1.5.3 Data Analysis

Content analysis was analyzed based on the data which was gathered from bothsurveys and interviews According to Moore & McCabe (2005), this is the type ofresearch whereby data gathered is categorized in themes and sub-themes, so as to be

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able to be comparable A main advantage of content analysis is that it helps in datacollected being reduced and simplified, while at the same time producing results thatmay then being measured using quantitative techniques Moreover, content analysisgives the ability to researchers to structure the qualitative data collected in a way thatsatisfies the accomplishment of research objectives Seliger and Shohamy (1989) note

in their study that the semi structured interviews took place shortly with theparticipants’ permission after surveys was completed

Data analysis took several steps The data from the surveys were processed into

an Excel sheet to produce the percentage for each question Reponses were groupedaccording to the questionnaire questions, and those had similar themes were alsogrouped together

Chapter II: Literature review

The second part is about the theoretical basis dealing with translation andtranslation courses with classroom assessment

2.1 Translation

2.1.1 Definition of Translation2.1.2 The importance of translation2.1.3 Methods of Translation

2.1.4 Common mistakes in Translation

2.2 Translation course

2.2.1 Classroom assessment2.2.2 Classroom assessment in translation courses at FFL - NEU2.3 Previous studies

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Chapter IN: FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION

Chapter III includes the data analysis, discussion, and findings

3.1 BE students’ perception of translation courses in FFL - NEU3.2 _ Benefits and difficulties that BE students have during translation

3.3 BE students’ desire to work as a translator after completing these

courses in the Faculty of Foreign Languages - NEU

Chapter IV: CONCLUSION

This section summarizes the research findings, identifies limitations, andrecommends future research The research also includes sections on References,which show the sources of cited content, and Appendices, which provide surveyquestions for students and lectures

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CHAPTER II: LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1 Translation

2.1.1 Definition of Translation

In the early period, when the translation was not considered an independentresearch object of a scientific field, the concept of translation was quite simple, justlike manipulations of converting text form between two languages It is a formalistconception of translation that focuses primarily on the translation of linguistic units

as a system, as a sub-discipline of comparative linguistics Translation studies of thisperiod prioritize linguistic and linguistic aspects when explaining the nature oftranslation

Catford (1965) developed a theory for translation based on contemporarylinguistic science in The Linguistic Theory of Translation Barkhudarov's (1975)Language and Translation is also an attempt to explain and describe translation fromthe point of view of structural linguistics Most interpretations of translations of thisperiod are about structural antagonisms between linguistic systems rather than aboutcommunication across different cultures The concept of a formal correspondencebetween two language systems has led to the search for equivalence which isessentially the statistical calculation of the degree of equivalence in translating anoriginal language unit into the text of the translated language For example, comparingthe equivalence of the passive voice, the addressing systems of two languages, andsetting out the principles of translation However, those are the principles that existonly between two language systems, which are only helpful for linguists to comparebut not very useful for translators when working because, in the process of translating,the translator must consider the communicative factors involved in the creation andreception of texts in order to reproduce the text in the translated language Translatorswork with text, not with single units of two language systems

Most definitions of translation focus on the equivalence transfer between thesource and target languages However, as Koller (1992, p 94) said, many definitionstend to be normative rather than descriptive since they often refer not only to thetranslation but also to state what it should be

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Most definitions deal with the messaging and communication aspects of thetext According to Jakobson (2004), the translation process focuses on the sign andthe overall message that needs to be conveyed Like Jakobson, Lewandowski (1978,

p 267) defines translation as the transfer of meaning from one set of linguistic signs

to another Similarly, Catford (1965, p 20) argues that translation starts from theformal equivalence in moving from the source word to the target language Bell(1991) also considers translation to replace a text in one language with an equivalent

in another Newmark (1988a, p 7) also points out that translation is the attempt toreplace a message and/or statement in one language with the same message and/orstatement in another language

According to skopos's theory, based on the concepts of function andequivalence proposed by Vermeer (1978) and developed by Reiss and Vermeer(1984), translation is due to the function or purpose it is intended to fulfill in aspecified target context Reiss and Vermeer (2014, p 107) formulated the followingrules:

- translation determined by its purpose,

- translations provide information in the target culture and language of information provided in the source culture and language,

- the translation is unique and irreplaceable, reflecting the cultural sourceproviding the information,

- the translation itself should be coherent,

- the translation must be consistent with the original,

- these rules are interdependent and linked together in this order

When creating a target language, the end justifies the means (ibid.) Purposescan vary from recipient to recipient, and the translator decides to use the mostappropriate translation strategies to achieve the purpose the translation is intended toachieve According to the purpose-based approach, the source language providesinformation, and the translator must interpret it by selecting the functions that best

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correspond to the requirements of the situation of the target language The translation

is considered traditional to achieve something new and original, not just give the targetaudience the same information in a translated form

Due to the influence of the tendency to interact and communicate, someauthors, such as Mounin (1963), Levy (1967), Hatim and Mason (1990, 1997), andReiss (2000), etc argues that interlanguage translation can be defined as a mediatedbilingual communication process that aims to produce a target native language that isfunctionally equivalent to the source native language The translation is necessary forhuman interaction and communication between languages and cultures Similarly,Snell-Hornby (1988, p 81) argues that translation is a complex communicative act inwhich the author of the source language, the translator, and the receiver of the targetlanguage interact with each other Carbonell (2006, p 48) also defines translation as

a form of communication and a means of getting things done

Sager (1994, p 293) adds definitions of industrial activity translation that isexternally driven, information technology-enabled, and diversified to meet the uniqueneeds of the media

2.1.2 The importance of Translation

Translation is becoming increasingly important, especially in globalization and

international integration The translation is not only a necessary tool for the needs ofknowledge sharing, cultural exchange, economic promotion, trade, and investmentbetween countries but also a research field that attracts a lot of attention mind of manylinguists

Language is a tool for communication and thinking Communication is theexchange of thoughts, feelings, intelligence, understanding, etc., with others andinteracting with each other Communication is an interactive activity that constantlychanges/translates intentionally from one person to another, so at least two peoplemust be involved in the same activity Communication is an interaction performed by

an agent (sender/speaker/writer) intentionally directed to a receiver (listener/reader)

to change the state psychology of the receiver, the sender, or both Communicativeinteractions take place in limited time and space situations, meaning that every

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communicative situation has historical and cultural aspects that facilitate verbal andnon-verbal action actors, their knowledge and expectations of each other, theirassessment of the situation, and their view of reality It is communication in alanguage that ensures the existence, maintenance, and development of human society

Humans always need to exchange and impart knowledge and experience Thetranslation is a solution to overcome language and cultural differences betweencommunities Newmark (1988a) argues that the translator should aim to produce inthe recipient the target language the same effect as in the receiver of the sourcelanguage The most important thing is to transfer the message's force (effect, impact)/ value Hence, the translator needs to have a particular arrangement and add/subtractwhen necessary to have a simple, precise translation that is clear, direct, andunderstandable to the recipient Therefore, translation is not simply the substitution of

a text from one language to another or another expression This is the process ofconveying a message from one language to another while respecting the linguisticfeatures of the text at different levels: morphology, vocabulary, grammar, etc

Translators allow communication between members of different linguistic andcultural communities When the differences related to language and culture do notallow the sender and the receiver to communicate effectively on their own, thetranslator will play the role of an intermediary, acting as a bridge between the senderand the receiver, collecting money to bridge the gap between situations where there

are differences in verbal and non-verbal behavior, expectations, knowledge, and opinions.

House (2009) argues that translation should be considered an effective tool inforeign language teaching, not only focusing on foreign languages but ignoring theinfluence of the mother tongue in foreign language teaching and learning (which isstill considered to hinder direct thinking in a foreign language, negatively affectingthe learning process) The translation must be essential in the curriculum of the fourbasic skills (listening, speaking, reading, and writing) and in the practical use ofcommunicative language Translation can improve communication in foreignlanguages and raise awareness of linguistic and cultural similarities and differencesbetween languages, encouraging intercultural understanding in increasingly

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multicultural societies Translation also encourages learners to use their understanding

of their mother tongue to acquire new knowledge Through translation, the learner'smother tongue becomes the medium of the learner's socialization and development Itdoes not lose the language-cultural identity but makes learners confident to continuethe learning process and coexist with the native language in themselves

2.1.3 Methods of Translation

Newmark (1988) emphasized the translator's background knowledge and therole of socio-cultural contexts in the translation process He proposed a translationmodel with eight translation methods, including word-for-word translation -wordtranslation), literal translation, faithful translation, semantic — translation,communicative translation, idiomatic translation, free translation) and adaptation arepresented diagrammatically in the form of a V, towards two strategies of semantictranslation and informative translation if the text is considered the central element oftranslation activities In translating from the source language to the target language,linguistic and non-linguistic factors relate to the text (communicative translation).According to the author, if the text is considered the central element of translationactivities, in the process of translating from the source language to the target language,there are a series of linguistic and non-linguistic factors related to the text

Word-for-word translation is a method of directly translating lexical units fromthe original language into the translated language The Word order of the originallanguage is preserved when translating, and words are translated according to thedictionary meaning, separate from the context The translation has manycharacteristics of the original language and is closest to the original language amongthe eight translation methods

The literal translation is a method in which the grammatical structure of theoriginal language is converted to the structure of the translated language in its closestform Vocabulary still translates singly, out of context

The faithful translation is a translation method where the translator attempts totranslate the contextual meaning of the original text into the correct translation whilebeing constrained by the grammatical structures of the translated language Formally,

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the translation still contains the grammatical structures of the original Cultural wordsare preserved from the original to the translation

Semantic translation is a method in which the translator reinterprets themeanings and meanings of the original, including the meanings that create theaesthetic value of the original The translation is written with the reader in mind in thetranslated language, so the translation is smoother and less rigid because it is moredependent on the grammatical rules of the original than the faithful translationmethod, and the translation accepts creative ideas created by the translator Thetranslation is now close to the recipient in the translated language

The communicative translation is a method of translation in which thetranslator accurately translates the contextual meaning of the original, producing atranslation whose content and form are acceptable and understandable to readers inthe translated language Unlike the semantic translation method, which aims atfaithfully translating the expressive meaning of the sentence, message translationmainly aims at the equivalent goal of the message value of the sentence Culturalelements in the original language are replaced by equivalent cultural elements in thetranslated language Message translation is mainly aimed at the message value of thesentence to ensure the "communication" of the translation process This is a translationmethod commonly used to translate informational texts

The idiomatic translation is a translation method in which the translatortranslates ordinary information in the original language into idiomatic information inthe translated language The translation contains many oral expressions containingidioms that the original does not have The translation is now vivid, smooth, natural,and close to the reader in the translated language

Free translation is a method in which the translator only aims to convey themain content of the source text into the target text without regard to the formal andlinguistic constraints of the original content True to its name (free translation), thetranslator does not depend on the formal elements of the original language butexpresses information freely This is a way of translating to recreate the message ofthe original with many creations of the translated language Lexical meanings are justbases for semantic analysis and finding messages to translate In this translation

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method, the semantic content is not as important as the message to be conveyed

Transformation is sometimes not at the interlanguage level but at the intercultural

level Newmark believes this is acommonly used translation method for informationaltexts Agreeing with Newmark, Le Hung Tien (2007) also said that this is a commonlyused translation method to translate informational texts such as dialogues andadvertisements

Adaption is the most accessible translation method among translation methods,

in which the translator only retains the topic, context, and characters in the originaltext to create the translation in his way The culture of the original language is alsotransferred to the culture of the translated language In other words, this is a rewrite

of the original in the translated language According to Newmark (1988), this method

is mainly used to translate poetry, films, songs, and plays Thus, the names of songs,movies, or plays are translated based on the translated content of the song, film, orplay, not on the title itself

2.1.4 Common mistakes in Translation

2.1.4.1 Language error

First, the basic mistake when translating English into Vietnamese is using thewrong words Misuse of words is most often made when using words that do notmatch the contextual meaning Some English words do not have synonyms, or do nottranslate into another language English texts often use local words Therefore, if thetranslator is not knowledgeable about the language, it is difficult to guess the correctcontext of the article Another easy mistake is that the translator cannot distinguishthe degree and usage of some words that are close in meaning For example:

(1) I don’t think a single person believed me when I maintained that the porkfactor was not the reason my husband and I chose to procreate in 2007

Translation: Tôi không tin một người độc thân sẽ tin tôi khi tôi quả quyết rang

vợ chồng tôi quyết định sinh con vào năm 2007 không phải vì đây là năm Hợi

Translation suggestions: Tdi nghĩ, nêu tôi nói rang vợ chong tôi sinh con năm

2007 không phải là vì chọn năm Hợi thì có lẽ sẽ chang ai tin.

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The example above shows the problem learners face in using the dictionary.Learners may quickly decide that the first meaning of the word “single” lis “độc thân”without considering other meanings that may be more appropriate in the context ofthis polysemous word Students did not realize that they had to understand themeaning of the word “single” in the whole phrase “I don’t think a single person” sothey chose to express the word “single” as “độc than” when it should be “not a singleperson” means “không ai hay chăng ai”

The second example:

(2) Vẻ chính sách tài chính, chính phủ đã cắt bỏ bao cấp đổi với các doanh nghiệp nhà nước để giảm chỉ ngân sách và tiến hành cải cách thuế dé tăng nguồn thu.

Translation: In fiscal policies, the government has cut off subsidy to owned enterprises in order to reduce government spending and reformed taxation toincrease national income

state-Translation suggestions: In financial policies, the government has cut offsubsidy to state- owned enterprises in order to reduce government spending andreformed taxation to increase revenue

Both the words “financial” and “fiscal” can be understood a “tài chính”, butthe word “fiscal” itself is associated with government or public money, especially taxmoney Therefore, using the word "fiscal" to convey the word "finance" in the abovesentence is not contextually appropriate because the government's first action to cutsubsidies to state-owned enterprises to reduce costs is to budget will not fall withinthe meaning of the word “fiscal” Similarly, the word "revenue" means the money thegovernment collects from people's taxes will be a more reasonable choice than theword "national income" because in the context, it is "conducting tax reform to increase

revenue."

The third common mistake is to choose inappropriate prepositions InVietnamese, each preposition has a definite meaning that is not affected by the noun,adjective, or verb associated with it In contrast, the meaning of prepositions inEnglish depends on the surrounding words This difference explains the mistake that

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learners often make when translating text from Vietnamese to English as in the

Another mistake is confusing the usage of adjectives and adverbs For

example:

(4) Từ thành phố Hồ Chi Minh di về phía đông chừng 20 km, chúng ta gặp một

vung sinh thái tuyệt diệu

Translation: Traveling about 20 km eastwards from Ho Chi Minh city, touristswill catch sight of a marvelously ecological system

Translation suggestions: Traveling about 20 km eastwards from Ho Chi Minhcity, tourists will catch sight of a marvelous ecological system

In the above example, learners use the adverb “marvelously” instead of theadjective “marvelous” because they think that the adverb modifies the adjective

“ecological” but modifies the whole noun phrase “ecological system.”

Fifth, a translation error stemming from the difference between the twolanguages is the omission of the plural form For example

(5) Miệt vườn Lái Thiéu được hình thành từ xưa cùng với lang quê êm a cua

Nam Bộ.

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Translation: Lai Thieu orchard was formed a long time ago together with thesouthern peaceful villages

Translation suggestions: Lai Thieu orchards were formed a long time agotogether with the southern peaceful villages

This translation error does not merely refer to an error in noun formation butreflects an error in interpreting the source text It can be easily recognized thatVietnamese students often have difficulty recognizing the number of nouns inVietnamese texts when there are no preceding quantitative adjectives In thetranslation above, the problem is not with the learner's understanding of the differencebetween the singular and plural forms of the word but with the failure to recognizethe meaning of the word in the original text as singular or plural Based on the context,the word in the translation must be plural because the phrase "Lai Thieu orchard" has

a general meaning, generalizing the intention to refer to all fruit gardens in Lai Thieu

Sixth, English texts often have many noun phrases, while Vietnamese peopleuse phrasal verbs instead While translating text, learners make the mistake of keepingthe structure in the original text, thus confusing the translation This leads to structural

error For example:

(6) There is over-fishing and destruction of important marine habitat,expansion of infertile soils due to inappropriate farming practices

Translation: Hiện dang ton tại tình trạng đánh bắt cá quá mức, sự phá hủy môi trường quan trọng của biển; sự mở rộng dat bạc mâàu vì canh tác không hợp li.

Translation suggestions: Hiện nay dang xảy ra tinh trạng khai thác quá mức

và phá huy môi trường sống của các loài thủy sản quan trọng; diện tích đất bạc màu

tăng lên do canh tác nông nghiệp không đúng cách

Learners tend to focus only on the surface structure and precisely translate eachword and phrase as in the original text Too much emphasis on the structure of thesource text causes many translations to lose the logic and coherence required in thetarget language

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2.1.4.2 Comprehension error

This type of error usually occurs when the translation is entirely standardized

in terms of vocabulary and structure However, when compared with the source text,the target text shows that the student has misunderstood the teacher's meaning of aword or sentence source text According to Pham Thu Quynh Na (2005:51), thetranslation is not close because of the learners' language ability but because of thecarelessness or inability to comprehend or interpret the meaning of a word or asentence in the source text

2.1.4.3 Transmission error

This type of error indicates that the learner cannot express the meaning of thesource text in the target text or loses some of the meaning of the source text eventhough the sentence is structurally lexical In this study, transmission errors includepragmatic errors, omitting part of the source text, and incorrectly expressing a phrase

or idiom

The first mistake is the pragmatic one According to Pham Thu Quynh Na(2005), pragmatic errors refer to sentences/phrases in the target text that are notstylistically appropriate even though they are semantically and grammatically correct.For example, translators use technical terms or informal words in journalistic texts orexpressions that are not culturally appropriate In other words, if the style of the sourcetext is not faithfully reflected in the target language, the translation has a pragmatic

error.

The second mistake is the error omitted part of the source text For example:

(12) I explained that in the West, the reputation of pigs is not quite as stellar

as it is in East Asia Westerners, I said, tend to stereotype pigs as either lazy layabouts

or Animal Farm dictators

Translation: Có thé lí giải rằng, ở phương Tây hình anh con lợn không được coi trọng như ở Đông Á Như tôi đã nói những người phương Tây xem lợn là biểu

trưng cho những kẻ lười biếng, VÔ công rồi nghề hay là những kẻ hồng hách.

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Translation suggestions: Co thé lí giải rang, ở phương Tây hình anh con lợn

không được coi trọng như ở Đông Á Như tôi đã nói những người phương Tây xem

lợn là biểu trưng cho những kẻ ăn không ngôi rồi hay đơn giản là loài xuất hiện nhiều

nhát ở các trại nuôi gia súc

In the example above, the students could not interpret the phrase “Animal Farmdictators”; so the decision to translate only part of this phrase “dictators” changed themeaning of the sentence

Another mistake is incorrectly translating phrases or idioms For example:

(13) Sure, the country's communist leaders may have once disparaged bothastrology and money worship

Translation: Chắc rằng các nhà lãnh đạo Dang ta đã từng xem thường thuật chiêm tinh và chủ nghĩa tôn sung tiền bạc.

Translation suggestions: Chắc chắn là trước đây, những nhà lãnh đạo Việt Nam đã từng bài trừ cả thuật chiêm tỉnh lần việc đốt vàng mã.

In the above example, learners choose to translate the words according to the originalmeaning in the dictionary without considering them in the context of the sentence;therefore, cannot correctly interpret the intent of the original text

2.2 Translation course

2.2.1 Classroom assessment

By its very nature, translation is a complex activity that involves understanding

and proficiency in many areas and skills To study and determine translation capacity,

the authors often divide this capacity into component competencies that can beconsidered individually or as a whole The essential component of translationcompetence mentioned by many authors is language competence, and most agree thatalthough this is the most critical competency, it is not all In general, theorists arguethat the minimum required areas of translation competence are knowledge oflanguages, cultures, and the relevant discipline The characteristics of the context of

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the translation process significantly contribute to the development of the interpreter's

translation capacity.

Translation ability

According to Neubert (2000), the complex nature of knowledge and skillsrequired for translation competence makes the translation profession much differentfrom other professions In addition, the complexity of many different skills oftranslation competence also contributes to the fundamental difference in thetranslation profession The relativity of translation capacity is also an importantfeature to mention Translators and interpreters must have comprehensive linguisticcompetence and profound expertise to translate the text's content and form from thesource to the target language However, they still cannot reach an expert level in theknowledge and skill of the transmitters and receivers of the text From that, it can beseen that translation capacity is always an available capacity Translators andinterpreters often have to cultivate through many sources of knowledge and self-improve the required language skills of specialized discourse Translators, in theirwork, always have to deal with difficulties caused by differences in languages andcultures, such as understanding semantic content, finding suitable expressions in newlanguages and cultures, etc So it takes creativity To realize these innovations,translators must also be aware of translation situations and the very flexible changes

in the communication situation involved In order to handle new translation situations,

translators must also rely on experience in processing in their professional history, so

it is necessary to have experience in handling or history of translation capacity

Neubert (2000) identifies five specific types of component competencies asfollows: Linguistic competence, contextual competence, specialized competence,cultural competence, and translational competence

Language competence: The duties of a translator and interpreter require a perfect level of linguistic competence in terms of lexical, phonological, andgrammatical sophistication in both source and target languages In addition, there is asense of grasping the frequent changes in both languages in communication in therelated field expressed through dictionaries and technical documents and the industryterminology system in the two languages

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Contextual competence: Translators' linguistic knowledge and skills arealways associated with discursive competence, i.e., the ability to understand andreproduce the text in specific circumstances to achieve communication purposes andprocessing capacity and construct the language in practice In addition to commonknowledge of the language, the translator must have a sensitivity to the specificcharacteristics of the language expressed in the vocabulary, the structure used in thepatterns that have become customary, and their meanings when They function inspecialized communication texts This competence is developed by translators duringtheir practice in a particular field and is increasingly perfected in both languages and

related disciplines

Specialized competence: The relative and open nature of translationcompetence shows that translators must have specialized knowledge at bothencyclopedic and in-depth knowledge levels, but not necessarily at the professionallevel expert level This specialized knowledge also does not have to be as active as inexperts but ensures that they can find and equip themselves enough to translatetechnical texts when needed The longer you practice in a specialty, the shorter thegap between the translator's encyclopedic knowledge and the expert's knowledge,helping translators and interpreters to translate the content and form of technicaldocuments quickly and accurately more precisely, with a more expert style

Cultural competence: Texts, whether technical or specialized, are culturallyspecific, which translators, who are mediators, always recognize through similaritiesand differences in the literature copy Increasingly, international terminology systemsare still culturally specific because of their linguistic form; a language cannot beseparated from a particular culture The form and genre of the text are always heavilyculturally specific, so the translator must always know how to translate to suit thepatterns of the source and target cultures and reconcile disagreements from culturaldifferences This capacity is called the cultural competence of the translator.Translators tend to favor their original culture when performing translation becausethey still belong to that culture in the way they think and feel

Translation competence: The ability to use techniques and strategies to converttext from the source to the target language This is the most critical ability that

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distinguishes translators and interpreters from bilinguals Despite having profound

and proficient knowledge and skills in languages, contexts, cultures, and specialties,

but lacking translation skills, bilinguals still cannot construct fully and appropriatelytranslated texts for the target recipient After all, translation is a communicationservice activity, and the translator is just an intermediary between the transmitter andthe receiver Therefore, translation capacity helps the translator to understand themeanings of the sender and translate for the receiver a text that contains and conveysthe whole meaning in a form suitable for this party correctly and fully

According to Neubert (2000), the five components mentioned above combine

to form translation competence, making translation different from othercommunication activities and fields Among these component capabilities, thetranslation capacity plays an overarching role and determines the success or failure ofthe translation process The translation capacity governs and turns the remainingcomponents into active factors, operating and performing their functions in thetranslation process

According to Bernadini and Castagnoli (2004), in addition to translationcompetence, translators and interpreters must also possess interpersonal skills,attitudes, and qualities suitable to the requirements of the translation profession.Translators need to learn how to work interactively with their colleagues, experts inthe field, managers, and clients They need to know how to learn and hone thenecessary skills and knowledge regularly through the work and people involved Theyneed to be trained to learn on their own and discover standards and principles ofprofessional ethics, mainly through professional tasks and communication withcolleagues and other stakeholders Translating and interpreting education is aboutdeveloping interpreters' ability to meet the demands of their profession and society,helping them to become more versatile citizens than just those with translation skills

According to Liu (2013), in addition to the above component competencies,

professional translators and interpreters need to be guided to familiarize themselves

with the new working environment and conditions, including technical tools to

support the translation profession, such as using term databases, workbench system,computer-aided translation, information research software, etc

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