Effects Of Methodological Training On MA Thesis Work In Translation Studies

The research explores the effects of the training of research methodology on MA thesis work in Translation Studies in an attempt to provide some new evidence for and insights into such controversial issues as the necessity and the effective way of methodological training for MA candidates in Translation Studies.The research investigates 89 thesis papers and interviews 6 MA candidates in Translation Studies. The three groups of surveyed theses are compared along such dimensions as topic selection, research type, research design and thesis writing. The results of the research go as follows:Firstly, the access to methodological training in thesis research does exert a significant influence on thesis work in Translation Studies. It is conducive to the expansion of research scope, the innovation of research methods, the rationalization of research design, the standardization of thesis writing, and so on.Secondly, the orientation of methodological training also has an apparent impact on thesis work in Translation Studies. The training oriented toward Applied Linguistics research endows the theses with some features typical of Applied Linguistics while the orientation toward translation research swings the thesis research back to translation studies. In addition, the training further broadens the scope of thesis research and renders the thesis design more mature and reasonable.Thirdly, the way of methodological training also influences thesis work directly or indirectly. For instance, the nature of the training course, compulsory or optional, determines to some extent the degree of attention that student researchers pay to the course and hence affects the effect of the training.Those differences are proved to be the effects of methodological training. This is further evidenced with the interview with the MA candidates in Translation Studies. It is confirmed that the methodological training in Applied Linguistics research contributes a lot to the improvement of thesis research and writing. However, that does not mean the training can solve all the problems that crop up in thesis research in Translation Studies.In contrast, the training in translation research is much more pertinent to the discipline of Translation Studies. On the other hand, the training per se still has a lot to improve. Therefore, it is proposed that methodological training in Translation Studies should be combined with the training of Applied Linguistics research and the emphasis should be placed on the research practice of translation studies.Three implications can be drawn from the findings. Firstly, methodological training in translation research should be offered to MA candidates in Translation Studies. Secondly, more studies of methodological training for MA candidates in Translation Studies should be undertaken so that the training can play its due role in improving the quality of thesis research. Thirdly, as an inter-discipline, Translation Studies should not only learn and draw on the methodologies from other disciplines but more importantly, develop a mature system of research methods so as to provide methodological guidelines for its own sake.