Developing MTI Students' Strategic Competence In Translation:A Cooperative Learning Approach

The main purpose of this thesis is to explore how to better develop student translators' strategic competence in translation. By conceptual speculation, the study seeks first to propose a translation pedagogical experiment based mainly on Cooperative Learning Approach. Then, an experimental teaching is conducted with a series of tasks aiming at improving MTI students'strategic competence in translation according to the proposal. Statistical and descriptive data drawn from the experiment are analyzed to find out if students' strategic competence has been developed after the experimental teaching. The research results can also be used to evaluate the effectiveness of the teaching experiment. The thesis has the following three focuses: (1) the constitution of the students'strategic competence in translation; (2) the proposal ans the implementation of the translation pedagogical experiment designed in line with the cooperative learning approach; and (3) the influence of the teaching experiment on students'strategic competence in translation.The translation pedagogical experiment lasts nine weeks directing at 33 first-year MTI students in a certain university. Qualitative and quantitative methods are combined to analyze the data in the empirical study. Questionnaires, collaborative translation protocols(CTPs), self-report, direct observation and interviews are triangulated to explore if students'strategic competence can be improved and, if yes, how much it can be improved with the experiment. The conclusions are made as follows:(1) The strategic competence researched in this thesis is in a narrow sense, referring to students' competence of utilizing different types of translation strategies in solving problems encountered in the translation process. With the conceptual speculation basing on relative theoretical and empirical researches on strategic competence by PACTE(2009,2011), Chesterman(2002), Wang Shuhuai(2008,2012), this thesis proposes that students'strategic competence in translation comprises three components:instrumental strategic competence, textual strategic competence, and monitoring & advising strategic competence.(2) This translation pedagogical experiment refers to a task-based teaching method in accordance with the principles of cooperative learning, focusing on the application of translation strategies and sticking to the form of cooperative groups. Compared to individual study, cooperative learning approach helps to improve students'choosing and practicing of translation strategies, and motivates them in problem-solving, group interaction and binding.(3) Through the analysis of the empirical data, the development of student students'strategic competence in translation is manifested in the following three aspects:(a)The students in the present study have made remarkable progress in their overall strategic competence, which testifies to the effectiveness of the translation pedagogical experiment in cultivating students' strategic competence in translation, (b) The improvement of the components of strategic competence in translation is in a hierarchical ranking. They ranks according to the degree of development as instrumental strategic competence, monitoring&revising strategic competence and textual strategic competence, (c) There is a statistical mean difference in translation quality assessment (TQA) of the tasks at the onset and the end of the experiment. The mean value of TQA signifies an improvement in the students'translation quality. In addition, students have made progress in other aspects such as thematic knowledge, self-management and psychological adjustment.