An Empirical Study On Developing MTI Student Translators’ Metacognitive Competence Based On "Process-Oriented Collaborative Model"

Since translation is a cognitive activity, to improve translation quality involves enhancing the efficiency of cognitive activity of the translation process. Metacognition is widely recognized as an important part in cognitive psychology. However, few theoretical researches focus on translators’metacognitive competence, training model and assessment, let alone empirical research. Based on this, the main purpose of this thesis is to explore how to better develop student translators’ metacognitive competence. By conceptual speculation, the study seeks first to build a teaching model based on process-oriented pedagogy. Then, experimental teaching is conducted in a translation class based on the model. Data drawn from the experiment are analyzed to find out if students’ metacognitive competence is developed after the experiment. The research results can also be used to evaluate the effectiveness of the teaching program based on the pedagogy model. The thesis intends to answer the following questions:(1) what constitutes metacognitive competence in translator training? (2) What is "process-oriented collaborative model"? From a theoretical perspective, in what ways can this model help improve student translators’metacognitive competence? (3)From an empirical perspective, to what degree does the teaching model help improve student translators’ metacognitive competence?The teaching experience lasts 9 weeks. Qualitative and quantitative methods are combined to analyze the data in the empirical study. Questionnaires, Metacognitive Questionnaires (MQs), collaborative translation protocols (CTPs) and semi-structured interviews are triangulated to explore if students’ metacognitive competence can be improved and, if yes, how much it can be improved with the model. The conclusions are made as follows:Metacognitive competence is defined as the abilities to regulate and co-regulate own and others’process of translation based on own metacognitive knowledge and metacognitive experience, and during the process, obtain new metacognitive knowledge and metacognitive experience. It comprises of four components, namely metacognitive knowledge, metacognitive self-regulation, metacognitive co-regulation, metacognitive experience, which are interrelated and interacted.(2)The "process-oriented collaborative model" is built based on social level of metacognition and process-oriented pedagogy. MQs functions as medium to focus students on translation thinking and activities, and guides students to learn and supply knowledge of strategy and monitoring of translation in collaborative learning environment. This model motivates them in problem-solving and learning autonomy, thus paving the way for their future profession.(3) By analyzing the empirical data, the development of student translators’ metacognitive competence is manifested in the following three aspects:(a) the students in the present study have made remarkable progress in the overall metacognitive competence, which testifies the effectiveness of the "process-oriented collaborative model" in cultivating students’ metacognitive competence, (b) The improvement of the components of metacognitive competence is in a hierarchical ranking. The best developed component of metacognitive competence is metacognitive self-regulation, followed by metacognitive co-regulation, metacognitive knowledge and metacognitive experience, (c) There is a statistical mean difference in TQ measurement collected at the beginning of the project and that at the final stage. The mean value of TQ signifies an improvement in the students’ translation quality.The research results show that student translators’ metacognitive competence has a positive effect on translation quality and efficiency of translation cognition. Thus, translation education should attach importance on the development of metacognitive competence to cultivate autonomous translation expert.