FACTORS AFFECTING EFL STUDENTS’ ORAL TRANSLATION EXAM PERFORMANCE: A CASE IN SOUTHERN VIETNAM
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Published:
Mar 19, 2024
Keywords:
EFL student, exam performance, oral translation, Southern Vietnam
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Abstract
Despite the rapid development of technology and digital applications, interpreters play an indispensable role in assisting effective communication and connecting speakers from different cultures. To fulfil the global demand, more oral translation programs and courses are offered in higher education institutions. While there has been more attention to process-based teaching and learning, little has been done to examine what affects students’ performance during summative assessment. This present study explores (1) EFL students' perceptions of the factors influencing their oral translation exam performance, (2) strategies students use and expectations on lecturers to enhance interpreting competence. This study employed a mixed approach. Online questionnaire and interviews were used to collect data from 72 English majors at a university in the south of Vietnam. The results revealed that audio quality, testing-taking anxiety, memory, vocabulary shortage, and listening skills had a greater impact on students' oral translation exam performance than other factors. Students have various strategies and expectations of lecturers concerning a positive testing environment.
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1.
Ta N, Nguyen T. FACTORS AFFECTING EFL STUDENTS’ ORAL TRANSLATION EXAM PERFORMANCE: A CASE IN SOUTHERN VIETNAM. journal [Internet]. 19Mar.2024 [cited 30Apr.2024];14(1). Available from: https://journal.tvu.edu.vn/index.php/journal/article/view/3282
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References
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English Education Journal. 2016;6(1).
https://journal.unnes.ac.id/sju/eej/article/view/12797.
[31] Haidara Y. Psychological factor affecting English
speaking performance for the English learners in Indonesia. Universal Journal of Educational Research.
2016;4(7): 1501–5.
[32] Juhana J. Psychological factors that hinder students
from speaking in English class (A case study in a senior high school in South Tangerang, Banten, Indonesia). Journal of Education and Practice. 2012;3(12):
100–10.
[33] Doff A. Teach English trainer’s handbook: A
training course for teachers (Vol. 2). Cambridge,
United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press; 1988.
https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=_XoA
AQAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PR8&dq=Doff,+A.+(1988)
.+Teach+English+trainer%E2%80%99s+handbook:+A
+training+course+for+teachers+(Vol.+2).+Cambridge+
university+press.&ots=_I0XWLJObI&sig=ohfcRih6y69
ohu8uCP2JXAyQPq8 [Accessed 21st December
2023].
[34] Bao X. A study on listening strategies instructed by
teachers and strategies used by students. International
Journal of English Linguistics. 2017;7(2): 186–95.
[35] Rossell CH, Baker K. The educational effectiveness
of bilingual education. Research in the Teaching of English. 1996;30(1): 7–74.
[36] Participant 5. Student. Personal communication. 18th May 2023.
[37] Participant 3. Student. Personal communication. 17th May 2023.
[38] Participant 4. Student. Personal communication. 14th May 2023.
[39] Participant 1. Student. Personal communication. 16th May 2023.
[40] Participant 2. Student. Personal communication. 16th May 2023.
[41] ST17. Interviewed by: Ta Nguyen Yen Nhu. 21st March 2023.
[42] ST22. Interviewed by: Ta Nguyen Yen Nhu. 21st March 2023.
[43] ST46. Interviewed by: Ta Nguyen Yen Nhu. 21st March 2023.
[44] ST31. Interviewed by: Ta Nguyen Yen Nhu. 21st March 2023.
[45] ST40. Interviewed by: Ta Nguyen Yen Nhu. 21st March 2023.
teaching in Vietnam: attitudes of Vietnamese university teachers. English Language Teaching. 2012;3(2):
119–28.
[2] O’Donnell TJ. Learning English as a foreign language
in Korea: Does CALL have a place. Asian EFL
Journal. 2006;10(1): 1–27.
[3] Al-Salman SM. Global English and the role of translation. Asian EFL Journal. 2007;9(4): 141–56.
[4] Krogstad JM, Stepler R, Lopez MH. English
proficiency on the rise among Latinos.
https://vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/handle/10919/83176
[Accessed 21st December 2023].
[5] Neubert A. Competence in language, in languages,
and in translation. Benjamins Translation Library. 2000;38: 3–18.
[6] Pym A. Training translators. In: Malmkjær K, Windle
K (eds.) The Oxford hanbook of translation studies.
United States: Oxford University Press; 2011.
[7] Le T. On a theoretical foundation for professional
translator and interpreter training and education for
Vietnam. [Về cơ sở lý luận đào tạo biên phiên dịch
ở Việt Nam]. VNU Journal of Foreign Studies [Tạp
chí Nghiên cứu Nước ngoài]. 2017;33(2): 105–117.
https://doi.org/10.25073/2525-2445/vnufs.4145.
[8] Seleskovitch D. Language and cognition. In: Gerver
D, Sinaiko HW. (eds.) Language Interpretation and
Communication. Boston, MA: Springer US; 1978.
p.333–341. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-9077-
4_29.
[9] Bui BT, Dang DX. Translation and interpreting theory. Hanoi: Hanoi University of Foreign Studies;
1999.
[10] Nolan J. Interpretation: techniques and exercises.
Buffalo: Multilingual Matters; 2005.
[11] Laver J, Mason I. A dictionary of translation and
interpretating. Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley &
Sons Inc; 2018.
[12] Howatt A, Dakin J. Language laboratory materials.
In: Allen JPB, Corder SP (eds.). The Edinburgh
course in applied linguistics. Vol. 3: Techniques in
applied linguistics. London: Oxford University Press;
1974.
[13] Burns A, Joyce H. Focus on speaking. New Helhi,
India: NCELTR Publications; 1997.
[14] Bahrani B. A method to push students’ speaking
ability in English foreign language classroom.
The Asian ESP Journal. 2020;16(6.2): 5–12.
https://repository.uinsi.ac.id/handle/123456789/957
[Accessed 21st December 2023].
[15] Kermis M. Translators and interpreters: comparing competences. Master’s thesis. Utrecht University;
2009.
[16] Fraihat OA, Mahadi BT. Towards an
exclusive mould of translation and
interpretation requisite competence.
https://www.translationdirectory.com/articles/article23
51.php [Accessed 21st December 2023].
[17] Pahlavani P, Kazemi R. To probe employed consecutive interpreting strategies of one equivalent
terms among Iranian translation learners. International Journal of Linguistics, Literature and Translation. 2019;2(6): 349–60.
[18] Gentile A, Ozolins U, Vasilakakos M.
Liaison interpreting: A handbook. Australia: Melbourne University Press; 1996.
https://cir.nii.ac.jp/crid/1130282269083778048
[Accessed 21st December 2023].
[19] Weda S, Atmowardoyo H. Cross-cultural competence
(CCC) and cross-cultural understanding (CCU) in
multicultural education in the EFL classroom. The
Journal of English as an International Language.
2018;13(2.2): 9–31.
[20] Meldia P. Culture in translation and interpreting.
Modality Journal: International Journal of Linguistics and Literature. 2022;2(2): 92–104.
[21] Pochhacker F. Interpreting studies. In: Gambier Y, ¨
van Doorslaer L. (eds.) Handbook of translation
studies. Amsterdam, the Netherlands: John Benjamins
Publishing; 2010. p.158–172.
[22] Gillies A. Note-taking for consecutive interpreting:
A short course. Taylor & Francis; 2017.
https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=FDol
DwAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PP1&ots=NRcJmGFLFM
&sig=KqJ9DZxbirs1dAWpeCL9jWUvoTk [Accessed
21st December 2023].
[23] Chunli Y, Mansor NS, Ang LH, Sharmini S. Factors influencing the quality of consecutive interpretation from the perspective of interpreter. International
Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social
Sciences. 2021;11(3): 1356–69.
[24] Riccardi A. Translation studies: perspectives
on an emerging discipline. England:
Cambridge University Press; 2002.
https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=Lqf50
8FYrwsC&oi=fnd&pg=PR7&ots=FRAJiITauD&sig=9
t5mDufYZH2fMLPtrFcBLXtWCCQ [Accessed 21st
December 2023].
[25] Mazouzi MS. Analysis of some factors affecting learners’ oral performance. Master’s thesis.
University of Biskra; 2013. http://archives.univbiskra.dz/handle/123456789/4772 [Accessed 21st December 2023].
[26] Siegel J. Factors affecting notetaking performance.
International Journal of Listening. 2022;1–13.
https://doi.org/10.1080/10904018.2022.2059484.
[27] Rajab SY, Nimehchisalem V. Listening comprehension problems and strategies among Kurdish EFL
learners. The Iranian EFL Journal. 2016;12(4): 6–
27.
[28] Renaldi IG. An analysis of students’ factors and
problems effecting in speaking skills. Borneo Journal of English Language Education. 2020;2(1).
https://doi.org/10.35334/bjele.v2i1.1610.
[29] Xinghua L. Psychological problems of
middle-school students in English learning.
http://joyward.blog.163.com/blog/static/34949425200
761264614847/ [Accessed 21st December 2023].
[30] Jannah M, Fitriati SW. Psychological
problems faced by the year–eleven students
of Ma Nuhad Demak in speaking English.
English Education Journal. 2016;6(1).
https://journal.unnes.ac.id/sju/eej/article/view/12797.
[31] Haidara Y. Psychological factor affecting English
speaking performance for the English learners in Indonesia. Universal Journal of Educational Research.
2016;4(7): 1501–5.
[32] Juhana J. Psychological factors that hinder students
from speaking in English class (A case study in a senior high school in South Tangerang, Banten, Indonesia). Journal of Education and Practice. 2012;3(12):
100–10.
[33] Doff A. Teach English trainer’s handbook: A
training course for teachers (Vol. 2). Cambridge,
United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press; 1988.
https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=_XoA
AQAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PR8&dq=Doff,+A.+(1988)
.+Teach+English+trainer%E2%80%99s+handbook:+A
+training+course+for+teachers+(Vol.+2).+Cambridge+
university+press.&ots=_I0XWLJObI&sig=ohfcRih6y69
ohu8uCP2JXAyQPq8 [Accessed 21st December
2023].
[34] Bao X. A study on listening strategies instructed by
teachers and strategies used by students. International
Journal of English Linguistics. 2017;7(2): 186–95.
[35] Rossell CH, Baker K. The educational effectiveness
of bilingual education. Research in the Teaching of English. 1996;30(1): 7–74.
[36] Participant 5. Student. Personal communication. 18th May 2023.
[37] Participant 3. Student. Personal communication. 17th May 2023.
[38] Participant 4. Student. Personal communication. 14th May 2023.
[39] Participant 1. Student. Personal communication. 16th May 2023.
[40] Participant 2. Student. Personal communication. 16th May 2023.
[41] ST17. Interviewed by: Ta Nguyen Yen Nhu. 21st March 2023.
[42] ST22. Interviewed by: Ta Nguyen Yen Nhu. 21st March 2023.
[43] ST46. Interviewed by: Ta Nguyen Yen Nhu. 21st March 2023.
[44] ST31. Interviewed by: Ta Nguyen Yen Nhu. 21st March 2023.
[45] ST40. Interviewed by: Ta Nguyen Yen Nhu. 21st March 2023.