The role of translation in L2 reading

Abstract

Translation has been used for a variety of purposes in foreign language teaching including teaching reading. Foreign language readers frequently complain that they do not understand or fully comprehend a second language (L2) text even though they know the vocabulary and context. In this research study it was proposed that translating an L2 text would help learners better comprehend it and would also help them in the retention and recall of text content. This hypothesis was tested by conducting an experimental study on two groups of students.The participants were 20 Turkish EFL freshman students at an advanced level of proficiency from varying academic departments of Bilkent University. The first group (experimental group) was asked to translate an L2 text and the second group (control group) was asked to read the same text and write the main ideas for each paragraph. Both groups were given a monolingual glossary to help them with the vocabulary. Their comprehension of the text was evaluated with a comprehension post-test given immediately after the translation and/or reading of the text. The retention of the text among the two groups was measured through a retention post-test given after a two-week time period. In addition, think-aloud protocols were obtained from two subjects from each group to determine if there was any unconscious translation being done by the reading group and to determine the different translation and reading strategies each group used. The two subjects from the experimental group were asked to translate a reading passage while the two subjects from the control group were asked to only read it. Subjects in both groups were also given the choice of using different dictionaries (monolingual or bilingual). The comprehension and retention post-tests were analyzed and evaluated by three English teachers to ensure more objective and reliable scoring. The results were compared by T-tests. The think-aloud protocols were analyzed by transcribing the conversations of the subjects who had been audio-taped. Later, these transcriptions were coded and the researcher compiled a list of translation and reading strategies the subjects used while completing their tasks. The researcher also formed a list of the common cognitive processes used by the four subjects. The four subjects were interviewed after the think-alouds to obtain their views on the task and to make the protocols more reliable and objective. A questionnaire was given to all the subjects as a last step of the research study. This was conducted to have the subjects' opinions regarding translation and whether it had any positive or negative effects on their L2 reading comprehension. The results of the post-tests indicate that the group who translated the text instead of only reading it, gained a better comprehension and retention of the text. The analysis of the think-aloud protocols suggests that all subjects translated certain words and sentences into L1 whether consciously or unconsciously. Results also suggest that the experimental group took longer to complete the test tasks than did the control group. This confirms the more general hypothesis that, in translation of L2 texts, there is a relationship between better reading comprehension and retention and greater time on task. The findings of this study suggest that translation has a positive effect on the comprehension and retention of subjects reading L2 texts. The results suggest therefore that translation should be a part of the curriculum in EFL courses, and students should not be consistently discouraged from using translation in the classroom.