The Application Of Error Analysis Theory In Translation Teaching To Non-English Majors

The rapid development of global economy and steady improvement in China’soverall national strength have been calling for new translation talents with high qualityhigh standard and high capability. Translation teaching is a crucial field in whichtranslation theory and translation practice unite through the “marriage”, which has adirect effect on fostering excellent translator and enhancing their translationcompetence, determining the development of translation professionals and entiretranslation level in the future. The increasingly significant role of college translationteaching will be put high on the agenda. However, the issues on how to promotestudents’ translation level and cultivate their translation competence have alwaysoccupied the vital focus among a large number of English teachers and researchers.Considering the current situation above, the author of this thesis intends tointroduce the error analysis theory into the classroom of college English translationteaching, emphasize the significance of errors, explore the reasons behind them, andmake a classified analysis in view of errors. As a consequence, various kinds of errorscan be distinguished and identified, which can attribute to decreasing or even avoidingthe occurrence of errors in translation practice. In that case, students’ translationcompetence and proficiency would be enhanced and facilitated. The author intends toexplore the feasibility and validity of error analysis theory in college Englishtranslation teaching by combing the teaching experiment and interview. Twohypotheses are proposed as follows: one is that error analysis theory-based teachingapproach can improve students’ translation proficiency better than the traditionaltranslation approach. The other one is error analysis theory-based teaching approach isable to cultivate students’ translation initiative and interest, getting students todeveloping an optimistic attitude towards translation.The author had conducted a teaching experiment among non-English freshmen ofShandong Normal University, with165students from two classes involved in it, which lasted18weeks. During the experiment, the students in the experimental class wereintroduced the error analysis theory-based translation teaching approach for onesemester while the students in the controlled class still adopted the traditionaltranslation methods. The students’ translation performance was made a comparisonbetween the pre-test and post-test, which revealed the achievements gained by thestudents in experimental class were much higher than those in controlled class.Furthermore, it showed from the interview that students in the experimental classdeveloped a more keen interest in translation, which did benefit the cultivation of theirinitiative and enthusiasm for exploring English translation. The final conclusion of thestudy is that the error analysis theory-based translation approach is not only feasiblebut effective in the English translation teaching for non-English majors.In the end, the author made a conclusion for this study, in the hope of providingcertain valuable reference and pedagogical implications for the employment of erroranalysis theory in the college English translation teaching. In addition, the author alsoraised some issues and limitations existing in this experiment, resting her hope on moreEnglish teachers, translation researchers and learners to explore its impact andinfluence on college translation teaching for the brighter future of translation teachingand practice.