An Introspective Study On Test-takers’ Processes Of Taking Sentence Translation Test In CET-4

This study investigates the test-takers’ processes of taking CET-4translation testwith introspective methods in an attempt to examine what the CET-4translation testactually measures and whether there are differences among three groups with differentproficient levels. The analysis is carried out around two main research questions:1)What does CET-4translation test actually measure?2) Are there any differences amongthe three groups when they take CET-4translation test? If so, what are these differences?To answer these questions, simultaneous introspection and immediate retrospection areemployed and twelve non-English majors are involved in the study. They are dividedinto three groups according to their translation proficiency.Basing on the relevant researches about validity of translation test, translationcompetence and translation strategy and the analysis of the testees’ protocols, theresearcher puts forward a framework for analyzing testees’ processes of taking theCET-4translation test. Based on this framework, the testees’ protocols are furthercategorized and analyzed. The major findings of the present study are brieflysummarized as follows:Firstly, CET-4translation test measures three aspects of test-takers’ abilities:1) Asfor linguistic knowledge, vocabulary, spelling, phrase, grammar and semantics areidentified. Test-takers attach great importance to vocabulary, grammar and phrase,which are obstacles for them during the process of translation.2) Extra-linguisticcompetence components are divided into memory failure, implicit cognition abouttranslation test, self-confidence, frustration, distraction and habit. Their testperformances are influenced by memory failure and implicit cognition abouttranslation test. They think they are familiar with words, grammar or phrase, but theycan not remember them clearly. They have some implicit cognition about translationtest, especially unclear cognition about scoring criteria, which affects theirperformance to some certain degree. The translation test also measures their mentalstate, that is, self-confidence and frustration. Their attention can be distracted by thetranslation test itself.3)16strategies, divided into four phases, are identified.Test-takers employ S1(Accept interim solution), S4(Break off attempt), S7(Identifyproblem), S10(Make intuitive acceptability judgment), S11(Monitor for TL accuracy),S24(Read given TL), and S26(Read SL) more frequently than other strategies. More strategies are identified in Phase I (the preparation stage) and Phase III (theillumination stage). Thus, test-takers pay much attention to the original information ofSL and given TL. The ignorance of Phase II (the incubation stage) and Phase IV (theevaluation stage) means that the test-takers do not have much trouble in analyzing thetranslation task, but they are not aware of evaluating and monitoring their translationproduction.Secondly, there are some differences among the three groups in these three aspects.1) As for linguistic knowledge, test-takers in low-level group pay much more attentionto vocabulary and spelling, while test-takers in high-level and middle-level groupconsider more about grammar and semantics.2) As for extra-linguistic competence,test-takers in high-level group are very confident during the whole test, whiletest-takers in low-level group are easily to be frustrated and distracted by thetranslation test itself. Test-takers in middle-level group are slightly affected by all theextra-linguistic components.3) As for strategy use, test-takers in high-level andmiddle-level group employ S10(Make intuitive acceptability judgment) and S1(Accept interim solution) most frequently, while test-takers in low-level group employS4(Break off attempt) and S22(Postpone attempt) most frequently. Concerning thefour phases, there are some differences in Phase II (the incubation stage) and Phase IV(the evaluation stage).